Sustainability phenomenon and institutional sustainability theme principles in provincial public libraries in Turkey

Among library types, public libraries, which stand out with their identity as pioneers of innovative practices as well as the breadth of the user base they serve and service diversity, are the type of libraries that should be considered first in the context of sustainability, among other factors. The connection between the world of librarianship and sustainability has recently begun to find its place in the literature, giving rise to the responsibility of emphasizing the importance of sustainability for libraries. In this context, the fact that there is no Turkish literature that will provide institutional guidance on this issue by determining sustainability criteria especially for public libraries increases the importance of the subject and this study. The ultimate aim of the study is to determine the situation of the provincial public libraries in Turkey in terms of institutional sustainability in the context of their structural elements (building, staff, user, budget, collection, managerial approach, applications and services) and to determine the institutional sustainability to develop a guide in public libraries in the light of the data obtained. Accordingly, the scope of the research was determined as 81 Provincial Public Libraries in order to ensure that the results of the research reflect the situation in all of Turkey. In line with the purpose of the research, description method, survey and semistructured interview techniques were used. First of all, within the scope of the data obtained as a result of the survey form applied to the managers of provincial public libraries in Turkey, interviews were held with library managers selected from seven geographical regions by simple random sampling method among the libraries that responded to the survey. According to the results obtained in the study, there is a lack of consciousness and awareness among provincial public library managers, staff, and users regarding the concept of "sustainability", which is a very new concept in the literature. As a result of the study, a guideline was created that includes the basic features that provincial public libraries in Turkey should have in order to ensure institutional sustainability. This guideline is an example for other types of libraries, especially provincial public libraries. The guide in question will make a significant contribution to libraries, all stakeholders of libraries, and the information science literature. In addition, this study and the resulting guideline form the basis for future studies in this field.