What is BiblioPera?
BiblioPera is a network of 9 research centers located in Beyoğlu, Istanbul: Koç University’s Research Center for Anatolian Civilizations (ANAMED), Istanbul Research Institute, SALT Research, German Archaeological Institute-Istanbul, Netherlands Institute in Turkey, French Institute for Anatolian Studies, Orient-Institut Istanbul, Swedish Research Institute in Istanbul, and Sismanoglio Megaro. It serves as a virtual platform (bibliopera.org) that features a union catalogue of these centers’ libraries, and news about the scholarly and public events they organize. The project was initiated in 2015 and has been coordinated by Koç University Suna Kıraç Library, with a financial support from Istanbul Development Agency (ISTKA).
What does it hope to achieve?
BiblioPera aims to reinforce and aggregate the vibrant intellectual life pursued at these research centers, hoping to underline a rather silent layer of Beyoğlu’s multidimensional identity. Through better coordination of activities and resources among research centers, BiblioPera’s goal is to support researchers, curators, librarians, as well as the larger public.
What has been your highlight?
BiblioPera provides access to the catalogue data of more than half a million print sources, and millions of digitized archival material. It has been great to discover hidden gems in the libraries of our partner institutions, and making them known by a larger community has been a simple but one of the most cherishing joys of the BiblioPera team.
What is next for BiblioPera?
The next step for BiblioPera would be to strengthen its identity as a research center network and to initiate its own projects, organize its own events, engage in new partnerships with institutions.
Who are your beneficiaries, who can benefit from BiblioPera?
BiblioPera website is open to everyone. But our target audience is researchers from all around the world interested in social sciences, arts, and humanities, with a special focus on the history, archaeology, and heritage of our region.
