World’s First Nature Conservation Library

In İzmir’s Orhanlı village of Seferihisar, the world's first nature conservation library was established for researchers working on nature conservation and nature culture. Library Officer Şeref Demirtaş explained his works for Civil Pages.

How did the idea of establishing a Nature Conservation Library come about, what happened during its realization and how long did it take to be established and who contributed to the founding process?

Nature Library is a subject library established for researchers working on nature protection and nature culture. It was established to enable researchers working in the field of nature protection to access information resources in this field. The idea of the Nature Library was born out of the need of researchers working in the field of nature conservation for a subject library, which they can refer to if they need information resources in this field. The foundation work for the library had started in 2018 and it aims to compile the information resources in Turkey and in the world within the field of nature protection and make it available to researchers. The library’s foundation process started technically in 2018, however, as the process of creating a collection, the first link of the Nature Library was formed by the archive of Doğa Derneği and by the private collections of Tansu Gürpınar, Güven Eken and Özcan Yüksek.

Topics such as conservation of biodiversity, nature culture, nature law, nature philosophy, nature literacy, natural arts and especially the Important Bird Areas and Ancient Production Basins form the content of the Nature Library. There is no such library study in Turkey and the world that covers all these areas as a whole.

Is there a special reason why the library is in Seferihisar? Are there other examples of nature libraries?

The Nature Library was created within the Nature School, where the Nature Association also conducts its research and studies, so it is located in the Orhanlı village of Seferihisar, within the research building of the Nature School.

Subjects such as birds, endangered species, Important Nature Areas, Important Bird Areas and Ancient Production Basins, conservation of biodiversity, nature culture, nature law, nature philosophy, nature literacy, and nature arts constitute the content of the Nature Library. There is no library study in Turkey and in the world that covers all these areas as a whole. Libraries for specific subjects are common in the world. While Turkey has various special subject libraries such as health sciences, history, literature and music, there is no library on nature protection and with such extensity. Gathering all these issues together, the Nature Library is the first nature protection library of Turkey.

Who will have access to the library resources, do you have an idea of transferring the resources to online platforms?

The Nature Library is open to everyone who works on sustaining biological diversity, on defending the rights of nature and on carrying the culture of nature. Researchers cannot borrow printed sources (books, journals, reports etc.). They can copy from the Nature Library information sources or make use of the sources digitally. Nature Library users should use all kinds and sources of information in line with intellectual and industrial rights and respect the rights of the authors.

Researchers who want to make use of Nature Library do not have to come to the library. All resources in the library can be searched online via a library automation program at international standards. Digital sources can also be accessed through this automation program.

The Nature Library continues its efforts for the world’s largest library to live.

How can one contribute to this work which is very valuable for the public?

Anyone who wishes to take part in the collection development process of the Nature Library an contribute by sharing information resources on nature culture, nature researches and nature conservation issues, and can support us to provide the resources in the lists that are created within the scope of Nature Library’s collection development studies.

As the Honorary Member of our Association Tansu Gürpınar states: “Biodiversity the largest and the most valuable library in the world. And we nature lovers and nature conservationists are working hard to protect the books in this library.” Nature Library continues to work in order to sustain the largest library in the world. For the development of our collection, we continue to improve the collection of the Nature Library as well as the archive of Nature Association with the support of our supporters. We are continuing our collection development studies in order to provide printed or electronic information needed by researchers who are working on the area of nature conservation in Turkey and around the world. 

Click here (buraya) to access the Nature Library.

Click here (buraya) to browse the catalog.