The Library’s New Role: Guiding Researchers to Access Information
EMU Library Director Emphasizes Access to Limitless Information
Osman Soykan, the director of the Özay Oral Library at Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU), highlighted the importance of providing researchers with access to all kinds of information formats without limitations. In a statement released in honor of the upcoming 61st Library Week, which will be celebrated from March 31 to April 4, Soykan underscored the role of libraries in promoting reading and their significance for societies.
Soykan explained that university libraries are no longer just places where information is stored and preserved; they are now hubs for collaboration and document sharing. This cooperation among libraries has become essential, connecting academicians and researchers with vast amounts of information regardless of physical boundaries.
The DAU Özay Oral Library is recognized as one one of the top libraries, offering a wide range of academic collections including over 170 thousand printed books, 10 thousand electronic magazine subscriptions, and 350 thousand full-text electronic book collections. Furthermore, the library provides access to online databases, digital magazines, conference papers, theses, reports, and other valuable resources for researchers.
The library’s services are not limited to the university community but extend to the public and researchers worldwide. In an effort to promote reading among young students, the library will host a book reading event on April 2, in collaboration with Martyr Zeki Salih Primary School. The event, starting at 11:00, aims to encourage a love for reading among students and foster a culture of learning and exploration.
As part of the library’s outreach efforts, awards will be presented to the top four students who borrowed the most books from the Özay Oral Library in 2024. This initiative recognizes and rewards the dedication of young readers and encourages a lifelong passion for knowledge and literacy.
