Based on IFLA’s Strategy for 2024-2029, Merve Yavuzdemir designed a roadmap for public libraries in Türkiye. We asked her about her experiences and lessons for others. Find out about her experience, as well as new translations of the Strategy that you can use.

Since its publication in October 2024, the IFLA Strategy for 2024-2029 has helped shape our work as a Federation. However, it has also been designed to support reflection and planning at regional and national levels.

One great example comes from Türkiye, where Merve Yavuzdemir, Head of International Relations at the General Directorate for Libraries and Publications has turned the Strategy into a roadmap (Turkish, English). We interview her here.

We also encourage you to take a look at the  translations page for our Strategy, which includes versions in all official IFLA languages, as well as in Turkish, Kazakh, Uzbek, Hindi and Bengali.

For the Hindi translation, we are grateful to Sanjay Kumar Bihani, Vice Chair IFLA RDCAO with assistance from Deepak Kumar Shrivastava, Divisional Librarian at Kota in India and Sunil Kumar, Private Secretary. For the Bengali translation, thanks go to Sanjay Kumar Bihani along with Rocky Gouri, writer and researcher from Bangladesh.

The interview

IFLA: How would you characterise the state of the public library field in Türkiye today?

Merve: In recent years, the importance of public libraries in Türkiye has grown exponentially. Thanks to the advocacy efforts led by our General Directorate and the tangible demonstration of the impact of libraries on society, our investments continue to expand rapidly. Libraries in Türkiye are being redefined as centers of opportunity, and accordingly, we are improving their buildings, collections, staff capacity, service variety, and technological infrastructure.

Public libraries in Türkiye are undergoing a dynamic transformation. With over 1,300 public libraries and the National Library serving as the flagship, we are focused on accessibility, inclusivity, digital transformation, and sustainability. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism has invested significantly in modernising library spaces, diversifying services, and fostering community engagement. Libraries are increasingly seen as community hubs that promote lifelong learning, social cohesion, and cultural enrichment.

The Turkish public library model is unique compared to many European countries. We have a centrally coordinated system that respects local needs. This allows all librarians across the country to receive equal pay, ensures annual enrichment of library collections, and guarantees the continuity of operational expenses and infrastructure needs. In addition, we have national support mechanisms to fund and encourage locally developed projects. This model allows libraries to operate securely under central governance while maintaining the flexibility to diversify their services based on local user needs.

We also have a unified membership system: citizens can access all services in any public library across the country for free with a single registration. Furthermore, we have been expanding our library network based on users’ habits. Through mobile libraries, we reach remote or underserved communities and participate in festivals and other public gatherings. We also have libraries located in airports, train stations, malls, hospitals, and prisons. In addition, we prioritise accessibility by offering a wide range of digital services, including e-books, audiobooks, and video books, while simultaneously supporting the publishing industry.

IFLA: How widespread is the habit of creating strategies and roadmaps?

Merve: In Türkiye, strategic planning is a well-established practice at all levels—from national to local. We conduct strong advocacy efforts to ensure libraries are included in the country’s overarching strategy. This advocacy is then reflected in the official strategy document of our Ministry of Culture and Tourism, which safeguards our core goals for the development of librarianship.

Guided by the Ministry’s strategic framework, we develop national-level roadmaps that are shaped by local needs, national objectives, and global developments. Additionally, libraries within each city regularly hold coordination meetings under the leadership of the Provincial Directorates of Culture and Tourism, where they review action plans and align their local work with national priorities.

IFLA: What about your own experience of engaging with IFLA?

Merve: My engagement with IFLA has been incredibly inspiring and empowering. As a member of ENSULIB and an active participant in IFLA events and working groups, I’ve gained a global perspective that directly informs our national efforts. Attending international conferences, contributing to newsletters, and collaborating on award programs has enabled me to connect our local work with global discourse—especially in areas like sustainability, inclusivity, and innovation.

Since the very beginning of my professional journey in the library field, IFLA has been a key reference point for me. I started by studying IFLA’s vision documents, newsletters, and guidelines produced by various sections. Then, I began attending webinars. Through IFLA, I was able to explore global solutions and find inspiring libraries that addressed challenges similar to those I faced locally.

What impressed me most about IFLA were its efforts in advocacy and library engagement. Inspired by this, I initiated advocacy efforts in Türkiye, which led to the implementation of five EU-funded projects. One of the projects I designed in alignment with IFLA’s vision even received a UNDP Social Innovation Award. I began presenting library-related projects in multidisciplinary innovation competitions to raise awareness outside the library field as well.

Throughout this journey, I’ve always found it easy to reach out to global actors, including IFLA HQ, whenever I needed guidance. IFLA is a community where everyone is ready to help one another, and that spirit made me feel even more connected. Over time, my engagement became more active: I wrote blog posts, contributed articles to newsletters, participated in competitions and IFLA meetings, and helped localise IFLA materials for better understanding in my country.

My engagement with IFLA has been incredibly inspiring and empowering. As a member of ENSULIB and an active participant in IFLA events and working groups, I’ve gained a global perspective that directly informs our national efforts.

IFLA: What triggered you to create your roadmap?

I realised that while we were undertaking many meaningful initiatives, we needed a clearer framework to align them with global library priorities and communicate our direction both internally and externally. Creating a roadmap based on the IFLA Strategy allowed us to clarify our vision and demonstrate how Türkiye’s public libraries are contributing to broader global goals. It was also a way to strengthen our institutional identity and inspire colleagues across the country.

The IFLA Strategy provided both structure and inspiration. It helped us frame our national activities within a universal language and identify priorities such as sustainability, partnerships, and access to information. It also acted as a bridge between global ideals and local realities—showing us how to turn abstract goals into concrete, measurable actions. This was particularly helpful when preparing national events, training content, and project documentation.

I reinterpreted the global language of the IFLA Strategy to better resonate with public librarians. My aim was to translate IFLA’s messages into our own local language—one that directly speaks to librarians working in the field. I wanted them to recognise their own value, understand the transformative role of libraries in their communities, and realise that their efforts significantly contribute to national development.

While we already have concrete actions guided by our national vision and strategy, the IFLA Strategy provided a strong foundation to emphasise why these actions matter. The roadmap makes the strategic elements of our work more visible and meaningful. Going forward, we will promote the roadmap through internal capacity-building efforts, national coordination meetings, webinars, publications, and integration into local library action plans.

IFLA: Do you have any recommendations for colleagues elsewhere in the world?

Merve: Yes, start small, but start strategically. Use global resources like the IFLA Strategy and Trend Report to reflect on your own context, and don’t be afraid to localise them. And most importantly, share your work—what we do at the local level can inspire and connect professionals around the world.

As the Head of International Relations at the General Directorate of Libraries and Publications, I actively engage in cultural diplomacy efforts. In 2024 alone, we ensured Türkiye’s presence in the field of publishing and librarianship in 37 countries across 6 continents—ranging from Azerbaijan, India, and the UAE to countries like Congo, Malaysia, Australia, Mexico, Chile, and Hungary. Our goal for this year is to expand this work to the 7th continent.

Library diplomacy, as a form of soft power, not only strengthens ties between nations but also supports innovative and sustainable solutions to shared challenges. I believe that building collective power through principles such as solidarity, resilience, respect, cultural interaction, trust, understanding, and collaboration is essential. Regional cooperation is important—but so is engaging with distant geographies to deepen mutual understanding and global unity.