Lifelong Learning and Public Libraries in Turkey

In this study, opinions and awareness levels of directors and librarians working in the province public libraries in Turkey on lifelong learning were analyzed, the opportunities of public libraries were tried to be determined and the attitudes of senior units responsible for public libraries towards this topic were handled. The aim of the study is to identify the attitudes of public libraries towards lifelong learning and to find out the reasons of deficiencies arising from librarians and authorities if there is any. Within this framework the assumption of the study is 'Public libraries in Turkey are not effective because public library directors and librarians are not aware of lifelong learning; do not have necessary opportunities and the authorities which they are bound to have negative attitudes towards them'. The scope of the study consists of 168 library directors (director, assistant director) working in the province public libraries bound to The Ministry of Culture and Tourism and 354 librarians who graduated from Information and Documentation Management. The number of the respondent in the research sample is 162. According to the findings from 162 directors, assistant directors and librarian directors (40.7%) and librarians (50.6%) took part in the study think that they have enough knowledge about lifelong learning. However, the rate of the people thinking that they are informed enough in their schooling process is considerably low. Moreover, some of directors and librarians are aware of the fact that lifelong learning is the most significant matter they should improve themselves on. According to another result obtained from the study is although directors and librarians of public libraries argue that public libraries is an important part of the lifelong learning process, they are not aware of the duties they should take on in this process. It is impossible to say that county public libraries involved in the study organize sufficient number of activities within the scope of lifelong learning.