Sakarya University regards open access to information as a social responsibility and offers its libraries for free public use both physically and digitally. The university’s Central Library is open not only to students, academic, and administrative staff but also to external stakeholders and all visitors. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the library allows users to benefit from its study areas and resources at any time. For campus security reasons, only a brief registration process is required; beyond this, no membership, fee, or special permission is needed for entry. Guest researchers, school groups accompanied by teachers, and individual visitors can examine printed materials on-site. Public access principles are regulated by the Sakarya University Library Directive, which is publicly available.
In addition, Sakarya University implements an open-access policy in the digital environment. Through the SAU Open Access Repository (e-Archive), thousands of publications—including theses, academic articles, books, and reports—are freely available to everyone. Moreover, the Open Access Databases list published on the library website enables the public to directly access online academic resources. No user account or authentication process is required for these databases; access is entirely automatic and unlimited. In this way, Sakarya University fully adopts an open-access policy in both physical and digital information sharing.
Library services, access conditions, and user definitions are clearly stated on the university’s official website. The Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page explicitly notes that individuals outside the university may also benefit from the library. All these documents and pages are publicly accessible online through permanent links.
As a result of these practices, Sakarya University stands among the leading institutions promoting access to knowledge. By establishing a system that allows everyone to benefit freely from both its campus library and digital resources, the university contributes to the principles of equal educational opportunity, lifelong learning, and social inclusion. This policy is directly aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities, specifically Target 11.4: “Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and educational heritage.”
