Decommissioned airplane, train serve as libraries for Turkish children

A decommissioned Airbus plane and an old locomotive have been transformed into children's libraries by the Çankırı Municipality to encourage children to read more. A few months ago, the airplane was disassembled and brought to the central province of Çankırı from Istanbul and re-designed as a library that is expected to open in a few months.

The municipality also rented two train cars and a working locomotive that have been altered into libraries as well. The libraries will include a cafe for parents, while children read and enjoy themselves. Çankırı Municipality Mayor İrfan Dinç said, "We have created three library projects with different themes - airplanes, trains and ships. The preparations are ongoing for the ship library, while the airplane library will open in a few months." The train library, on the other hand, opened on Tuesday to mark National Library Week. Dinç said children feel more motivated while reading in a different and unique atmosphere. Local teachers are already preparing class visits to the new train library.

"The library is located in a very central place, making it easy for children, parents and schools to access," said Hatice Kaya, a teacher at Güneş Primary School. Kaya said parents can also come to the library with their children, and the library offers many books on different subjects. Mehmet Onur Kale, a third grade student who attended the library's opening ceremony, said the library design is very original. "I quite like it and want to read all the books here. I will recommend the place to my friends. I will ask all my friends who like reading books to come here, and I will visit more often," Kale said.