DERSAADET Library hosts visitors in the most historic and central part of Istanbul. Positioned as a centre for research on Istanbul by the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, Dersaadet Library continues to accept local and foreign visitors. Considered among the world’s most established chambers of commerce, the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce relays its 142-year accumulation to the culture realm through the Dersaadet Library. The library serves as a precious source for the researchers working on Istanbul, with its Rare Works Collection containing manuscript works and hosting a collection of 100 thousand pieces.

BUSINESS PEOPLE DATABASE

Istanbul Chamber of Commerce’s Dersaadet Library is an economic research centre. One can find sources on Istanbul and Türkiye’s economy in the library. Moreover, Dersaadet Library is a member of the KOMPASS database. Through this membership, the business people visiting the library can benefit from this system functioning as a free B2B platform where they can match with potential customers and suppliers.

LOCATED AT THE HISTORIC STRUCTURE

Dersaadet Library gathers with the readers at the Liman Hanı building designed by Architect Vedat Tek, regarded as the ‘Honor of Turkish Architecture’. This 116-year-old building, which is also a cultural treasure of our commerce history, has been renovated by the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce in recent years and extended to Istanbul city as a gift. Dersaadet Library conveys the traces of the century-old stories on its walls, stairs and rooms to the readers in this building.

FOUR MAIN COLLECTIONS

Dersaadet Library, with four main collections, acts as a prominent stop on Istanbul’s cultural map. These are Istanbul Collection, Commerce and Economy Collection, Miscellaneous Collection and Rare Works Collection. The library is a significant research centre with an archive of 100 thousand works comprising 40 thousand published and 60 thousand electronic pieces.

A PEACEFUL STUDY ENVIRONMENT

Dersaadet Library is mainly the destination of researchers working on the economy, commerce and Istanbul city, and the library stands out with its peaceful studying environment.

The library provides a serene atmosphere to the researchers with its spacious and luminous lounges. Additionally, to avoid distractions,

a booking system is implemented in the library to facilitate in-depth research.

The library serves on two floors of the historical building, including three research halls and a study lounge. The capacity of the library is 108 persons, out of which 62 are for visitors with booking.

Priceless protection of the collector’s pieces

The Rare Works Collection of the library has high-security protection and maintenance routines. All pieces arriving at the institution are checked before entering the collection. All pages, the book backs if the piece is in hardcover, internal parts of the hardcover and other possible additions are scrutinized on a light-coloured ground. During this process, contact between the piece under inspection and different pieces in the archive box is avoided. The conservation and restoration processes are launched after the status of the work is established.

150 databases

Dersaadeet Library also stands out with its digital collection. The library that extends its facilities to the readers with its new-generation library characteristic enables access to 150 national and international databases through its Online and Remote Access (VETIS) System. All these databases are open-access and free of charge.

Century-old works 

The Rare (Collector’s) Works Collection is one of the most attractive collections of the Dersaadet Library. This ancient collection on the library’s second floor comprises nearly 1500 works, including those under the procurement process. The book titled Tarih-i Vasıf (Vasıf’s History), dated 1894, is the collection’s oldest piece. The author of this book on the Ottoman Empire’s political and social structure is Ahmet Vasıf. The collection also hosts the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce’s various publications in Ottoman. The works in the library have been selected due to a highly meticulous and detailed process and are primarily on Ottoman history, politics, commerce, law, agriculture, animal husbandry and literature. Moreover, there are biographies of the scientists of the Islamic realm and the Ottoman period, archaeology and valuable works on visual arts and arts.