Public access to libraries
The core services and resources of the Kadir Has University Information Center directly contribute to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) — particularly “Quality Education” (SDG 4), “Reduced Inequalities” (SDG 10), “Sustainable Cities and Communities” (SDG 11), and “Responsible Consumption and Production” (SDG 12).
In addition, the Center actively supports goals such as “Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure” (SDG 9) and “Partnerships for the Goals” (SDG 17) through open access initiatives, cultural heritage digitization, and national and international cooperation.
Public Access and Lifelong Learning
The Information Center operates with an “Open Door and Democratization of Access to Information Policy,” ensuring full public accessibility to its facilities and resources. External researchers, students, and members of the public are welcomed throughout the year and can freely access library spaces, digital resources, and study areas.
Through the Interlibrary Cooperation and Document Supply Service, KHAS shares its collections with other institutions across Türkiye, expanding learning opportunities beyond the university community.
In 2024, 127 external visitors used the Information Center’s facilities as part of its open access service for non-KHAS users.
Community Engagement and Book Donation Campaigns
As part of its social responsibility mission, the Information Center organizes annual book donation campaigns to support schools, municipalities, and institutions in need across Türkiye. These campaigns are conducted in collaboration with university staff and students, promoting a culture of sharing and educational equity.
In 2024, 8,609 books were donated to 10 institutions, including public schools, municipal libraries, and correctional facilities.
Equal Access to Knowledge
In June 2024, the Information Center officially adopted the “Open Door and Democratization of Access to Information Policy.” This policy recognizes access to knowledge as a fundamental human right and ensures that all members of society — regardless of institutional affiliation — can benefit from KHAS’s academic and cultural resources.
Throughout 2024, 127 external users accessed the Information Center under this policy.
Academic Open Access Infrastructure
To increase global access to academic knowledge, KHAS transitioned to a next-generation Open Access Archive system in 2024, making research output freely available to the world. The platform promotes innovation and visibility of scientific knowledge by removing paywall barriers.
In 2024, 5,166 open-access publications were viewed by 204,123 visitors from 181 countries, and 174,031 documents were downloaded. Additionally, 43 KHAS-affiliated articles were published as open access through Read-and-Publish Agreements.
Evidence:
Cultural Heritage and Public Engagement
The KHAS Information Center serves not only as an academic library but also as a cultural institution contributing to the preservation and public sharing of Istanbul’s heritage.
In collaboration with Garanti BBVA–SALT, the Center has digitized and opened public access to the Reşat Ekrem Koçu Istanbul Encyclopedia Archive, one of Türkiye’s most valuable cultural collections.
This initiative ensures that historical archives and visual documents remain accessible to both scholars and the general public worldwide.
In 2024, Phase 1 of the Istanbul Encyclopedia Project was completed, with 33,903 digitized archival documents and 6,272 images made publicly available at https://istanbulansiklopedisi.org/
External User Policy
Other university members (external users) can benefit from the services and facilities of the Information Center according to the following rules:
Academic staff from other universities can benefit from the Information Center on weekdays during office hours by presenting their valid university ID cards.
Appointment: Master’s/Ph.D. students from other universities can benefit from the Information Center on weekdays during office hours (08:30 – 17:30) once a month, provided they make an appointment at least two business days in advance. Benefit applications made by coming to the campus are not accepted. Master’s/Ph.D. students from other universities can send their applications to [email protected] with their “…@edu.tr” email addresses provided by their universities, subject to the condition that they make an appointment in advance. Applications containing visual images of valid student IDs will be processed. The Information Center reserves the right to reject all benefit applications. The number of external users accepted daily is limited to 10 people. Click here for the External User Application Form.
During midterm and final exams, external users cannot be admitted to the Information Center.
Borrowing-Benefit: External users are advised to check the status of the resources they want to benefit from in the Information Center collection through the Information Center online catalog https://bilgimerkezi.khas.edu.tr before making an appointment.
Other university members can borrow printed resources from the Information Center through Interlibrary Loan Service (ILDS) via their university libraries (5 books for 30 days) or make copies/duplicates from the university’s photocopy office to the extent permitted by copyright laws.
The article, co-authored by Alper Menemenlioğlu from our Information Center team and prepared by the Anadolu University Libraries Consortium (ANKOS) Artificial Intelligence Research Group, has been published, for public access.
This valuable work provides significant insights into the current state and future of artificial intelligence usage in university libraries. We congratulate Alper Menemenlioğlu and the entire ANKOS Artificial Intelligence Research Group for their work indexed in Scopus.
https://doi.org/10.15612/BD.2024.785
OUR DATABASES
We also have related policies, which you can find below.
Open Door and Democratization of Information Access Policy
Kadir Has University Information Center believes that access to information is a universal right and a cornerstone of a democratic society. With this understanding, the Information Center is committed to contributing to social development, individual improvement, and lifelong learning by providing open and inclusive access to information resources and services.
To this end, the Information Center has adopted the following policies aimed at maximizing public access to information:
- Expanding Access: The Information Center makes its rich collection, comfortable workspaces, and comprehensive services available to the public, including those who are not members of the university. Registration and access procedures are designed to be user-friendly and easy to understand.
- Community-Oriented Services: The Information Center is committed to meeting the needs and expectations of the local community, particularly residents of the Fatih district where the campus is located. In this context, the Information Center organizes projects and events such as school visits and reading workshops that can contribute to different segments of society.
- Preservation of Cultural Heritage: The Information Center has an important responsibility to preserve cultural heritage and pass it on to future generations. The accessibility of cultural heritage is increased through the digitization, preservation, and public presentation of private and personal archives within the scope of the National Cultural Heritage Archive studies.
- Equality and Inclusivity: The Information Center is committed to providing equal and fair service to individuals of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. No discrimination based on language, religion, race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or socioeconomic status is tolerated in accessing our services.
- Collaboration: The Information Center actively collaborates with university libraries and members of other universities, public libraries, specialist libraries, museums, archives, and other relevant institutions and stakeholders to democratize access to information and make it available to all segments of society. These collaborations are carried out in areas such as resource sharing, joint events, and strengthening information access networks.
This policy is an expression of Kadir Has University Information Center’s social responsibility and commitment to supporting access to information. By adopting these policies as a guide, the Information Center aims to contribute to the building of a knowledge-based society and the achievement of sustainable development goals.
Gift and Grant Policy
The sources granted and gifted to the Information Center (books, magazines, DVDs etc.) are assessed and accepted pursuant to the Collection Development Policy. The Collection Development Policy employs an approach that prioritizes the academic, education and research programs, the cultural requirements, and the national & international knowledge at the University.
The Directorate of Information Center decides on the conformity of the sources gifted/granted with the collection development principles, taking the opinions of the respective experts if and when necessary. The Information Center is responsible and authorized to make a decision on whether a source gifted/granted is to be added to the collection.
A person, who wishes to grant sources to the Information Center, completes a “Granted Source Acceptance Form”, which indicates that the granted sources may be returned if and when necessary, and sent to other universities or schools at the discretion of the Information Center. The sources approved for the collection of the Information Center are added to the collection once the respective technical procedures are completed. A detailed list of the sources is kept, and a letter of thanks is sent by the President’s Office or the Directorate of Information Center to those who have granted these sources.
Those sources not added to the collection are returned to the grantor or may be sent to other institutions with the permit and knowledge of the grantor or at the discretion of the Information Center.
While choosing the sources to be added to the collection of the Information Center, the assessments and procedures concerning thereto are carried out in line with the following criteria:
- The contents of the source are in compliance with the Constitution of the Republic of Turkey, the Applicable Laws and the Higher Education Law,
- The language and contents of the source are in accordance with the education and research programs of Kadir Has University,
- They need to be integratable with other sources in the same subject that are currently available in the collection of the Information Center,
- The author and editor are nationally-internationally recognized in their respective fields,
- The critics’ and faculty members’ opinions are considered,
- The physical condition of the source is appropriate,
- They are not available in the collections of other libraries and information centers located in the vicinity,
- The Print / Publication dates are current,
- They need to be original (photocopied / copied sources are not acceptable),
No payment is made for those publications gifted / granted.
Those who wish to grant/gift such materials in compliance with the above-mentioned requirements to the Information Center may contact at 0212 533 65 32 / 1144, 1151 or via e-mail.