On April 10, 2025, Balıkesir University (BAÜN) Ottoman Heritage Application and Research Center, Library Community, BAÜN Mehmet Akif Ersoy Central Library, and Balıkesir Provincial Public Library collaborated to organize the 61st Library Week at Balıkesir University. In addition to Balıkesir Deputy Governor Dr. Mustafa İlhan, Deputy Provincial Director of Culture and Tourism Aytekin Yılmaz, academics, Provincial Public Library staff, university students, and students from Dr. Ayşe Ökten Hümeyra Kız Anadolu Imam Hatip High School. The panel discussed the changing role of libraries, ways of accessing information, and information centers of the future. The panel, held at the BAÜN Atatürk Congress and Culture Center Gelibolu Hall, featured speakers Prof. Dr. Ahmet Kolbaşı, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Serap Sunay, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Okan Koç, Balıkesir Provincial Public Library Director Orhan Ocak, librarians Esra Akbaş Yılmaz and Selma Yazıcı, and Library Community President Umut Güneş. Participants evaluated library experiences from the past to the present from the perspective of productive libraries, the concepts of open science and open data, digitization processes, and the impact of artificial intelligence on information systems. The event, which was also attended by Balıkesir Deputy Governor Dr. Mustafa İlhan, who emphasized that libraries are not just places for reading books but also part of social and cultural life, concluded with a commemorative photo.
