Spatial analysis of library system and proposal for new libraries in Istanbul

Over the past several decades, the rapid growth of Istanbul has resulted in a tremendous gap between the need and provision of social facilities. Growing societal and community needs in the information age and the desire to become a member of the European Union (EU) have stimulated public officials to upgrade the existing libraries and to increase their numbers so as to reach European standards. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to evaluate the spatial distribution of existing libraries and to propose new ones where they are needed. Volume is the most important and the population of the districts is the second important factor to affect library use. Thus, it is crucial to support library construction, especially in the periphery of the city for future development, and to improve the level of service of the existing libraries.