An event titled "Woman, Library and Career" was organized by the Faculty of Communication of Üsküdar University as part of Library Week. The event, held in cooperation with the Department of Library and Documentation, the Department of Career Center, and the Solution-Oriented Women's Issues Application and Research Center (ÜSÇÖZÜM), addressed the place of women in society, their journey in business life, and the role of libraries in accessing information. Organized within the framework of the "Healing Library" theme, it once again revealed that libraries are not only access points for information; but also centers of solidarity, inspiration, and transformation.
The program, held at the Fuat Sezgin Conference Hall of the South Campus, was coordinated by ÜSÇÖZÜM Director Prof. Feride Zeynep Güder and Head of the Library and Documentation Department Sinan Eker, while the moderation was handled by Semra Gül, Assistant Manager of Sector Collaborations at the Career Center Department. The event was attended by PCC, Career Coach, Trainer, Author Zühal Yiğit, Library Specialist of the Women's Works Library Foundation Emine Gür, and Lawyer Hülya Gülbahar as guests.
Prof. Feride Zeynep Güder: "Women need a third space"
Evaluating the potential of libraries to be a "third space" and the place of women in society, ÜSÇÖZÜM Director Prof. Feride Zeynep Güder referred to Virginia Woolf's work "A Room of One's Own," emphasizing women's need for an intellectual space. Güder stated: "In urban life, people have two spaces: home, work, or school. Women need a third space between home and work that is economic, accessible, and where they can define their own identity. Libraries are candidates to be this third space in this context. If our meeting point were libraries instead of restaurants, it would be a completely different cultural leap."
Zühal Yiğit: "Obstacles for women employees are endless"
PCC, Career Coach, Trainer, and Author Zühal Yiğit, evaluating career planning and women's development in business life, drew attention to the "Glass Ceiling Syndrome," which describes the invisible barriers women face in professional life, and the importance of self-awareness in career choice. Yiğit stated: "For fleas, there was only one obstacle; the jar. But if I were to ask what obstacles there are for women employees, we wouldn't finish until morning. The obstacles are endless. Women remaining in a certain position after reaching it, unable to advance further, is essentially the glass ceiling syndrome. In career choice and the career journey, asking ourselves 'What would you do if you weren't afraid?' from time to time might be a good idea."
Emine Gür: "We access sources outside official history through special archives"
Emine Gür, Library Specialist of the Women's Works Library Foundation, explaining women's access to information, archival studies, and the importance of libraries in women's empowerment, emphasized that women's representation in traditional archives is almost non-existent. Gür stated: "In traditional archives, documents are collected with a historical understanding predominantly dominated by men, so women's representation is at a level that can be considered non-existent. Sources outside official history can only be accessed by being kept in special women's archives. This way, the works of women come to light, become visible, and serve as an inspiration to others."
Hülya Gülbahar: "It is women who sustain life"
Lawyer Hülya Gülbahar, speaking on women's rights and the legal framework in business life, stated that the values produced by women should be made visible in all areas. Gülbahar said: "At every stage of history, for every high-level male politician, scientist, or artist, there are at least as many women. The issue is that these women are erased from history and their labor is seized. It is women who sustain life, and we must acknowledge the value of this labor. The system tries to control us by saying 'a woman is a wolf to another woman,' but we will resist this and be a homeland to each other."
Duygu Özçelik Nar: "We hope for days when women's strengths come to the fore"
Duygu Özçelik Nar, Manager of the Department of Library and Documentation, emphasizing women's employment in work environments and the challenges faced, spoke about women's employment in work environments and the difficulties encountered. Nar stated: "At the point we have reached now, seven of our 10-person staff are women. We manage our libraries as very strong women. As women, we are sometimes the target of labels and prejudices in social life. I hope the future will be a stage for days when women are free from labels and their strengths come to the fore."
Throughout the event, participants once again experienced the value of collaborative creation and solidarity.
The event concluded with a group photo session after students' questions were answered.