Nowon District Library's Non-Face-to-Face Reading Culture Program 'Abundant'

Sand Art, Author Meetings, and Online Humanities Lectures Showcase Diverse Programs

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Nowon-gu (District Mayor Oh Seung-rok) will operate a non-face-to-face reading culture program using an online platform in September, the month of reading.

This program aims to provide high-quality reading culture services to residents who find it difficult to enjoy leisure and cultural activities due to social distancing.

First, Nowon Children's Library will hold a 'Healing Sand Art with Family' class on the 27th. This program allows families with children from toddlers to elementary school students to watch sand art performances such as 'Dreaming Child,' 'Earless Rabbit,' and 'Animal Stories' online, and directly experience sand art through a kit.

In celebration of Chuseok, a 'Folk Play Book Art' program will also be conducted online. Participants will read related books with an art play expert and learn about Korean culture related to Yutnori (a traditional Korean board game). Using a play kit distributed in advance, families will create folk play tools together in this experiential class. Registration opens on the 19th on a first-come, first-served basis for families with children in grades 1 to 3 of elementary school.

Humanities lectures for adults will also be offered. Wolgye Cultural Information Library will run a lecture titled 'World Literature Overcoming the COVID-19 Era,' featuring works by authors spanning East and West such as Goethe, Han Kang, George Orwell, and Haruki Murakami, until November.

From this month until November 12, Sangye Cultural Information Library will open an online course every Thursday called 'School for Mothers Who Read Books' to foster a proper book reading culture at home.

Additionally, Bulam Library will conduct a picture book healing time program with author Lee Ji-hyun, who wrote 'I'm Glad There Are Picture Books,' targeting caregivers of infants aged 1 to 35 months.

Moreover, through Nowon Human Library's 'Ontact Human Book Reading,' residents can meet human books they have wanted to meet online and share life experiences.

For more detailed information about the programs, please refer to the Nowon-gu public library website.

The district operates a non-face-to-face safe book lending service. Anyone with a library membership card can use it, and up to five books can be borrowed per person.

To use the service, from Tuesday to Sunday every week, between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m., apply for desired books through the 'Safe Book Lending' section under short-term programs on the Nowon-gu public library website.

Requested books can be picked up the next day at a dedicated locker on the first floor of the library, and returns can be made using the unmanned return box.

Since its first implementation in April, this service has received great response from residents, with a total of 5,575 people borrowing 16,591 books as of September.

District Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, “As library closures have been prolonged, we prepared online reading culture programs to help local residents enjoy reading culture. We will continue to expand the foundation for reading participation activities so that residents can heal through books.”