KohaCon27 Istanbul | Official Proposal

Proposal Details

Hosting Organization

Organization

T.C. Ministry of Culture and Tourism

General Directorate of Libraries

Contact

Koha Project Team

koha@ktb.gov.tr

Format

HYBRID

Physical attendance at Rami Library + High-quality live streaming via Koha Community YouTube channel.

Proposed Dates

Autumn 2027 Preferred

Spring 2027 Alternative

The Venue

Rami Library

ramikutuphanesi.gov.tr

Capacity

4,200 Seating Capacity. Multiple seminar halls.

AV & WiFi

Professional hybrid streaming infrastructure.

Social

Cafes and massive courtyard garden.

Why Istanbul?

Executive Summary: Technical Authority & Strategic Bridge

Turkey is not merely a venue provider, but a technical authority hosting one of the world's largest centralized Koha installations with over 1,300 branches and 30 million materials. Istanbul serves as a strategic bridge connecting continents and code, embodied by the Rami Library's "Living Library" concept.

No Vendor Lock-in

Open source ensures data freedom and prevents commercial monopolies.

Data Sovereignty

Aligns with the global movement for nations to own their cultural data.

Sustainability

Zero license fees for 1,300 libraries. A sustainable model.

Global Accessibility

Easy visa policies (e-Visa) and non-stop flights from 120+ countries make it accessible for the entire community.

Unmatched Value

Premium accommodation and world-class hospitality at significantly competitive costs compared to other candidates.

Strategic Bridge

A unique chance to expand Koha's presence in the Middle East and Central Asia through Istanbul's leadership.

The Scale Challenge

1,300 Libraries, 1 Instance

Most large Koha setups are consortiums of independent databases. In Turkey, we run 1,300+ libraries on a single centralized Koha instance.

30M+ Items

7M+ Users (MERNIS)

6M+ Bibliographic Recs

Tech Stack Perl, MariaDB, Elastic

Draft Event Schedule

A standard 6-day KohaCon experience adapted for Istanbul.

Days 1 - 3

Conference

Keynotes, lightning talks, and roundtables hosted at the Rami Library main seminar halls. Fully hybrid and streamed globally.

Day 4 - 5

Cultural Day

A curated tour through the Historic Peninsula, followed by a networking Gala Dinner on the Bosphorus.

Days 5 - 6

Hackfest

Intensive collaborative work for developers and librarians. 24/7 access to Rami Library workspaces.

Discover Istanbul

Filled with historic landmarks and monuments, Istanbul is also home to numerous chic boutiques, cool restaurants, and customer-oriented boutique eateries. Embracing 'The New Cool', Istanbul feels stylish.

Nature & Beaches

Historic Peninsula

Beyoğlu

Asian Side

The Bosphorus

Golden Horn

Historical Bazaars

Princes' Islands

İstanbul, the bustling metropolis of Türkiye, is a city full of charm, where the past goes hand in hand with the present and every step brings to light a relic of times gone by. At the crossroads of two continents - Europe and Asia - this spectacular city has absorbed the best of both worlds. With its beautiful historic landmarks, quintessential cuisine, vibrant nightlife, festivals of art and music, celebration of faith, labyrinths of marketplaces and shopping arcades, the beating heart of İstanbul, and the soul of Bosphorus under the watchful eye of the Maiden's Tower is a traveller's dream.

Featured Ministry Museums (Delegates Access)

Topkapı Palace Museum Istanbul Archaeology Museums Galata Tower Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum

Resmi Turizm Rehberini Ziyaret Et

https://istanbul.goturkiye.com

İSTANBUL DESTİNASYONLARI İSTANBUL DENEYİMLERİ GOTÜRKİYE TV

Connecting
Continents & Code