Reopening of the Youth Reading Room Remodeling on the 4th Floor of Gangdong-gu Korea Braille Library

Creating Comfortable Learning Spaces with Both Private and Open Areas

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Gangdong-gu (Mayor Lee Jeong-hoon) will reopen the remodeled Bandium Reading Room located on the 4th floor of the Amsa-dong Korea Braille Library (36 Sangam-ro 4ga-gil) on the 5th.

The name has also been changed from Gangdong-gu Youth Reading Room to Bandium Reading Room.

The name Bandium is a compound word combining ‘Bandi,’ meaning firefly symbolizing the four-character idiom Hyeongseoljigong (螢雪之功), and ‘Um,’ meaning space, selected through a public contest among residents.

It carries the meaning of a space that illuminates the dreams and hopes of Gangdong-gu residents.

The Bandium Reading Room is the only district-run youth reading room created in 1997 when the Korea Braille Library was newly built, intended to provide convenience facilities to local residents.

Operating for 23 years this year, the reading room had ongoing requests from residents for environmental improvements due to aging facilities. Last year, during the 29th On-site District Mayor’s Office Visit, Mayor Lee Jeong-hoon visited the reading room, gathered residents’ opinions, and decided to remodel it.

The district recently considered that the reading room needs to meet different demands as more people seek open spaces like cafes to study, unlike the traditional reading room structure.

Accordingly, a caf?-style open reading space was created separately from individual reading areas, reflecting current users’ preferences by providing a resting area and an open space.

Additionally, to improve the reading room environment and offer users a comfortable study space, internal restroom renovations were carried out, and all desks and chairs in the reading room were replaced.

Mayor Lee Jeong-hoon of Gangdong-gu stated, “The aging youth reading room has been reborn as Bandium Reading Room, a comfortable and pleasant space that all residents can use at an affordable price.” He added, “Going forward, we will also create a Gangdong-style book caf? library, a cozy space where any Gangdong resident can meet neighbors with books, music, and tea nearby, striving to realize ‘Cultural City Gangdong.’”