Public Libraries on Fault Lines: Assessing Earthquake Risk with Geographic Information Systems

Public libraries, as cultural and community hubs, are increasingly vulnerable in earthquake-prone regions. This study examines their structural resilience in Türkiye by using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) based spatial analysis. First, damage data from 11 provinces hit by the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes were analyzed to assess how proximity to fault lines related to library damage. Second, GIS distance and buffer analyses were applied to all 975 public libraries nationwide to evaluate potential risk levels. Results show a clear link between fault-line proximity and damage risk, underscoring the need to integrate GIS into disaster management and resilience planning.