Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU), Özay Oral Library celebrated the 60th Library Week by organizing a book reading event and an award ceremony on Wednesday, 27 March 2024 at 11:00 a.m. at the Özay Oral Library garden. The event held with the slogan of “We Read Books for a Sustainable World” was attended by EMU Board of Trustees (VYK) members Ersun Kutup and Hasan Esen, EMU Vice Rector for Academic Affairs Prof. Dr. Osman Karatepe, Vice Rector for Promotion and Institutional Communication Prof. Dr. Ai Öztüren, Vice Rector for Student Affairs Prof. Dr. Sonuç Zorlu, EMU Özay Oral Library Director Osman Soykan, academic and administrative personnel, and students.
“Has the Widest Academic Collection”
Güvercinlik Rauf Raif Denktaş Primary School 3rd and 4th grade students and their teachers also attended the event. Delivering an opening speech, EMU Özay Oral Library Director Osman Soykan expressed that the “Library Week” is observed in the week commencing with the last Monday of March every year. The celebration of the week as “Library Week” was officially recognized by the Ministries of National Education in Turkey in 1964 and in our country in 1996. Stating that the aim of the week is to emphasize the value of books and reading and, to raise awareness about the importance of libraries for societies, Soykan highlighted that the role of the university libraries is to focus more on facilitating users’ access to information rather than physically possessing it. Noting that the Eastern Mediterranean University, Özay Oral Library is one of the prominent libraries, offering effective information services with the widest academic collections in our region and country, Soykan provided information about EMU Özay Oral Library and the opportunities it offers. On this occasion, Soykan extended his best wishes to all librarians and library enthusiasts and, wished our society many days filled with books.
“The More We Read, the More Beautiful Our Souls Become”
Addressing the audience, Vice Rector for Academic Affairs Prof. Dr. Karatepe expressed his gratitude to Güvercinlik Rauf Raif Denktaş Primary School for their attendance and support, and stated that reading, in fact, is a habit which should be brought into a family while raising children. Expressing that reading is the enemy of ignorance and bigotry, Prof. Dr. Karatepe stated that the fight against blind beliefs based on rote memorization cannot be achieved without reading. Highlighting the importance of reading habits, Prof. Dr. Karatepe used the phrase ‘The more we read, the more beautiful our souls become’. Furthermore, Prof. Dr. Karatepe noted that the benefits of reading and learning not only advance individuals and societies, but also provide opportunities for decision-making and problem-solving in daily life. Additionally, Prof. Dr. Karatepe mentioned being a researcher who extensively utilizes the EMU Özay Oral Library, emphasizing that it is one of the rich and database-strong libraries.
Following the opening speeches, Prof. Dr. Karatepe presented an appreciation plaque to Güvercinlik Rauf Raif Denktaş Primary School Director İffet Sarper. On the other hand, Sarper presented flowers to Prof. Dr. Karatepe.
Within the scope of the ceremony, top four students borrowing the most books from the Özay Oral Library during 2023 were presented with awards and appreciation certificates. The top ranking student was Engineering Faculty undergraduate student Emircan Karakoç with 61 books followed by Engineering Faculty postgraduate student Maria Nebesnaia with 36 books. The third ranked student was postgraduate student İbrahim Kurt from Business and Economic Department, borrowing 34 books in the year of 2023. Lastly, Health Sciences Faculty undergraduate student Bedriye Ökmen was ranked as the fourth student with 29 books borrowed. Following the presentation of awards, a 30-minute book reading event was held at the Özay Oral Library garden.
