To Whom it May Concern:
I am a senior student in the Department of Management. Recently, for two days in a row, I searched in vain throughout the entire library for a place to sit and study. Most of us consider the Library to be the best place to study on campus. Next week, like everyone else at Bilkent, I have midterm exams and projects due but unfortunately I could not use my weekend in the most effective way. Therefore I am not ready for my exams and projects! I blame Library Management for that. This is not the first time that this has happened to me and I continually hear rumors and complaints from classmates regarding this issue. While on campus I often wonder what percentage of the students I see are actually non-Bilkent students from other universities coming to study at our facilities. I’m fairly certain that it’s a very large number- especially in the Library. I strongly feel that something should be done to address this issue, and the sooner, the better. The situation is getting rapidly out of control and adversely effecting a very large portion of the student population. On behalf of all Bilkent students, please address and solve this problem as soon as possible.

Abid Omarov (MAN/IV)

Response from the Library Management
The library is aware of this situation, which had already been brought to our attention by Abid Omarov. The university’s “open door” policy and a desire to be useful to the Turkish community, not just Bilkent members, result in the large numbers of readers in the library. We are in the process of doing a study of occupancy of library seats in order to develop a practicable plan of action and hope to be able to make more space available for Bilkent students. In the meantime, we have also noticed that library users are very reluctant to sit 4 to a desk when 4 chairs are provided, and this of course leads to more complaints about a lack of places to study. We invite library users who want quiet study space to try the East Campus Library in its new and spacious premises above the East Campus Cafeterias.