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Mevlut Alpay, a 68-year-old resident of the Gultepe neighborhood in Adana's Sarıcam district, has kept up a reading habit that began in childhood and now spans 56 years. Alpay considers the public library he regularly visits his second home.
His interest in books took hold at age 12, when a friend gave him a copy of John Steinbeck's "East of Eden." The novel left a lasting impression and set him on a lifelong path as a reader.
In 1988, Alpay entered book marketing, turning his passion for reading into a career. After retiring in 2010, he stayed connected to books by joining the Ince Memed Public Library, which he still visits frequently.
"There is no day I do not read a book," Alpay said. "I read at least two hours every day. When I do not read, I feel something is missing, and I consider that day incomplete."
Alpay has also encouraged others to take up reading. He said friends often ask about the books he carries, prompting him to share information and direct them to the library.
Through this practice, he said he has brought 10 to 15 friends to the library. He added that his wife has told him she no longer sees his worries about life on his face while he reads and that he approaches life more positively afterward.
Ince Memed Public Library Director Mehmet Berk Cam said Alpay is among the library's most active readers, noting that he reads at least two books a week.
Cam said he learns new things from Alpay during his visits and that Alpay also recommends books to other readers. Cam described Alpay as valuable to sustaining a culture of reading at the library.
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