Turkish garbage collectors have decided to salvage what was deemed trash by their clientele as treasure for the public, instead.
Repurposing an old brick factory, bookshelves were set up inside and stacked full with discarded books, which had been destined for the incinerator before being collected from the trash.
The library opened to the public in September 2017, and today, it’s thriving.
Books found in the trash are brought back to the sanitation department headquarters where they are brushed up and sorted. The vacant brick factory on the premises was a perfect site for the library, its long corridors ideally shaped for bookshelves.
As the library’s collection grew, so did the need for organization. A library manager was hired and the books were sorted into 17 specific categories, including graphic novels and children’s books. The collection even includes books in English and French.
The quiet nook, upgraded with seating and chess boards, fast became a favorite rest spot for refuse workers on their breaks, many of whom are glad for the chance to self-educate in their spare moments.
Eventually, the library’s success spawned an outreach project in 2019, and Çankaya district refuse workers converted a garbage collection truck into a mini mobile library to service local schools and swap books with public libraries.
“On one hand, there were those who were leaving these books on the streets. On the other hand, others were looking for these books,” Mayor Tasdelen reflected.
Adds Akin, “Refuse workers aren’t only people who take away the trash.”
