Following the formation of the TGNA Government in 1920, a “Culture Department” was established within the Ministry of National Education and libraries were attached to this department. Upon the approval of the “Law of Unification of Education” on March 3, 1924, all foundation libraries were put under the administration of the Education Ministry. The “National Library” which still serves the public today, was established in Ankara in 1946. Library departments were opened in three universities in 1950s, and these departments offer undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in library science.

The number of public, children and manuscript libraries in the country totaled 1,179 at the end of 2006. They are all attached to the General Directorate of Libraries and Publications under the Ministry of Culture. A total of 21 million readers benefited from the libraries offering a total of nearly 13 million books in 2006. There are also 60 bookmobiles serving citizens who either live in remote towns and villages or who have no access to public libraries for various reasons. Furthermore, various government institutions, municipalities, NGOs, real as well as judicial persons, schools of various levels and universities run libraries as well.

With the objective of providing prompt and effective public access to the cultural accumulation through public libraries in line with contemporary technological developments, a “Library Automation Project” an Internet-based automation system was shifted and the application had been launched in 250 libraries as of March 2007.

Moreover, under the project for Public Libraries Internet Access Centers, members of public libraries in 81 provinces and Istanbul’s Beyazıt Public Library have started to benefit from Internet service for free.

A digital archive of manuscript works in the libraries was made, and efforts to post this archive on the Internet are near completion. With this work, researchers who are member of the related Internet page can access these manuscripts by paying a certain fee.