Setting up a library can sound costly, yet it can be created on any budget, even at zero cost. All that is needed is an empty room and wonderful books to take us to different places.
A Public Education Center in Bitlis, southeastern Turkey, is building up a zero-cost library made of waste materials to spark literacy habits and raise avid readers.
The library has been established within the scope of Turkey's Zero Waste Project led by the first lady Emine Erdoğan. The shelves are filled with the books that are sent by donation.
"We created a colorful environment from waste materials. We established our library at zero cost," center director Cemalettin Duman said.
The inactive cable reels brought from Vangölü Electricity Distribution Inc. (VEDAŞ) Provincial Directorate warehouses have been transformed into library tables. On the other hand, old tires have been used for the construction of bookshelves and decoration while wood blocks became stools. The collected materials were painted by the trainees at the Public Education Center.
Duman also said that they established the library about in a week.
Underlining that they provide a modern reading environment in the library created from waste materials, "Our library consists of materials such as pallets, reels, rubber tires and logs. While offering such a library to the service of our people, the aim is to bring our people together with books in such an environment with the least expense. I would like to thank our teachers, administrators, staff and trainees who contributed to this process. We have established such a library as part of the Zero Waste Project initiated by first lady Emine Erdoğan. Everyone, including our trainees and teachers, will be able to benefit from this library," Duman said.
The walls of the library also include drawings of some prominent names in Turkish literature.
VEDAŞ Provincial Director Bahadır Demir, who came to the library to see the final version of the idle reels taken from them, also stated that they are happy to see the waste materials converted for the benefit of the public.
"As VEDAŞ, we try to participate in social responsibility projects as much as we can. We sent the idle cable reels and pallets stored in our company's warehouses to the Public Education Center upon their request. We are content to see these materials being used in an efficient way. We will continue to support such projects," he added.
Also, the initiative "No Schools without Libraries" supported by first lady Erdoğan has helped to set up libraries at all schools in the country, especially those in remote areas. Since the project has been initiated, 250 new libraries, entirely made of recycled materials, were built across Turkey.
