Bursa Metropolitan Municipality organized a talk program titled “Municipal Libraries and City Archives as Productive Information Centers” within the scope of the 61st Library Week events. Speaking at the program, Metropolitan Municipality Deputy Mayor Mehmet Aydın Saldız said that libraries are not only places where books are collected, but also the memory of societies and areas of liberation for individuals.
Bursa Metropolitan Municipality organized a talk program titled “Municipal Libraries and City Archives as Productive Information Centers” within the scope of the 61st Libraries Week activities in order to shape the future of libraries and city archives together with all stakeholders of the society and to develop new service approaches. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Ali Akkaya, Prof. Dr. Bülent Yılmaz, Metropolitan Municipality Library Branch Manager Özge Sivrioğlu, Şeref Demirtaş and Osman Kutlu were the speakers in the program held at Atatürk Stadium Library, while Metropolitan Municipality Deputy Mayor Mehmet Aydın Saldız, Metropolitan Municipality Culture and Social Affairs Department Head Şafak Baba Pala, NGO representatives and many citizens followed the program with interest.
Speaking at the opening of the program, Metropolitan Municipality Deputy Mayor Mehmet Aydın Saldız emphasized that the level of development of a society is not limited to economic indicators, but is also directly related to access to information, the value it places on critical thinking, and the culture of reading. Stating that the act of reading is the basis of understanding, empathy, and intellectual freedom, as well as acquiring information, Mehmet Aydın Saldız said, “Although accessing information seems to have become easier in today’s world, accessing accurate information, analyzing it, and producing qualified thought have become more critical than ever. Books are the most reliable guide to this process. Libraries are not only places where books are collected, but also the memory of societies and the area of freedom for individuals. We will continue to support projects and new generation libraries that increase contact with books and spread the culture of reading throughout the city.”
Metropolitan Municipality Culture and Social Affairs Department Head Şafak Baba Pala said, “We are planning to carry out very important work regarding library services and we are excited. We hope that our libraries will increase a lot by the end of 5 years.”
Following the opening speeches, the speakers shared their ideas and work with the audience. After the program, Metropolitan Municipality Deputy Mayor Mehmet Aydın Saldız thanked the speakers for their participation and presented them with plaques.
