Turning waste into treasure: Garbage workers create a 40,000-book library from people’s discarded books | World News

What started as a daily activity of collecting trash on the streets of Ankara slowly turned into one of Türkiye’s most inspiring community projects. Sanitation workers in the city’s Kankaya district noticed that readable books were often thrown away with household waste. Instead of sending them to landfills, workers began putting the books aside in the hope that one day someone would read them again. The collection continues to grow as more and more books are rescued from bins and discarded piles. Residents began making direct donations, and the idea eventually evolved into a fully functioning public library that today houses approximately 40,000 books and serves readers throughout the community.

how garbage man Built a library with a collection of 40,000 books

The project started around 2016, when garbage collectors in Cankaya Municipality started rescuing books during their daily collections. At first, workers shared the books among themselves and their families. Although in good condition, many of the books were thrown away.As the collection grew, city staff discussed creating a dedicated library space where rescued books could be preserved and borrowed. The initiative quickly gained support from local officials, including Cankaya Mayor Alper Taşdelen.The library was officially opened to the public in 2017 and is located in a former brick factory at the headquarters of Ankara’s health department.The library initially housed only a few thousand recycled books, but public awareness has greatly increased donations. Residents across Ankara began donating books directly instead of throwing them away.Over time, the collection has expanded to include literature, history, science, philosophy, children’s books, encyclopedias, academic texts, and foreign language works. In recent years, city government updates report that the library’s collection has grown to approximately 40,000 volumes.The collection now contains books in multiple languages, including English and French, making it accessible to a wider readership.

Library built in an old factory

One of the most striking features of the project is its location. The library is housed in a renovated brick factory that was once used by the sanitation department. The industrial setting, exposed brick walls and long corridors give the space a unique atmosphere, with many visitors likening it to a cultural warehouse full of hidden treasures.Inside the library there are reading rooms, lounge areas, study spaces and a dedicated children’s area. Visitors will also find chess boards and quiet seating areas designed to encourage longer reading sessions.The space is particularly popular among local students and municipal employees, while cyclists through the nearby valley often stop for tea and reading breaks.

More than just a local project

Eventually, too many books were rescued for the library alone to accommodate. The collection began to support schools, educational programs and even prisons by providing free reading materials, according to city reports.Rural teachers from different parts of Türkiye also requested books for students in underserved areas. To manage the growing business, the city hired full-time staff to organize donations and oversee the library’s catalog.The project has since become an international example of combining recycling with public education, demonstrating how discarded materials can be transformed into valuable cultural resources.The Ankara Library has attracted worldwide attention for its combination of environmental awareness with literacy and community collaboration. The idea that books considered by some to be worthless could become valuable resources for others has generated strong reactions online and in international media reports.For many readers, the project symbolizes more than just recycling. It reflects the belief that knowledge should be easily accessible regardless of income or background.The library also challenges assumptions about waste itself. What was considered trash by many residents became the basis of a public institution used by thousands of people.

A reminder that books can outlive their owners

Nearly ten years after the first books were rescued from the garbage heap, the library continues to operate as part of the Cankaya Municipal Library Network. Its shelves prove that when communities choose to preserve rather than waste, discarded items can still have immense cultural value.For sanitation workers who originally started collecting discarded books, the project transformed their daily routine into something bigger than trash collection. They don’t just save books from landfills. They create a space where forgotten stories can continue to be read for years to come.