This paper deals with the library of the School of Engineering (Mühendis Mekteb-i Âlîsi) in the early 20th century with a special focus on the various aspects of library practices ranging from the daily activities of borrowing and returning books to the policies employed for the acquisition of library materials. While dealing with the library practices, the paper will also cover the development of the librarianship as a profession  and hiring policies of the librarians.

Dr. Duygu AYSAL CIN’s study deals with the library of the School of Engineering (Mühendis Mekteb-i Âlîsi) in the early 20th century with a special focus on the various aspects of library practices ranging from the daily activities of borrowing and returning books to the policies employed for the acquisition of library materials. While dealing with the library practices, the paper will also cover the development of the librarianship as a profession  and hiring policies of the librarians.

The School of Engineering took its roots from the Imperial School of Military Engineering for the Land Forces (Mühendishâne-i Berrî-i Hümâyûn); the first school of engineering, which was established in the late 18th century and focused on the development of military technology. In time, Hendese-i Mülkiye (Civil School of Engineering, 1883) and then the Higher School of Engineering (1909) evolved from Mühendishâne. Within this long time span, the library and the librarian undertook different roles to support engineering education. While the library became the main institution to provide all kind of engineering publications to the whole country, the librarians acquired more specialized tasks.

AYSAL CIN’s paper will deal with this changing mission of the library and the librarian from Mühendishâne to Mühendis Mekteb-i Âlîsi while paying attention on the various tasks undertaken by the library such as providing course materials to the students, rules and regulations concerning borrowing books, fines and penalties for late returns, management of the printing press of Mühendis Mektebi, providing books to the individuals and other libraries in the country and policies on collection development.

The research for this study is based on the archival research held at the Presidency Ottoman Archives in Istanbul and Republican Archives in Ankara, ITU Archives and rare books collection, and SALT Research.