Nowon-gu Mayor Oh Seung-rok to Participate as a Human Book

Nation’s First, The Only Permanent Operation Among Seoul’s Autonomous Districts: ‘Nowon Human Library’... Housing 814 Human Books

Free for Everyone, Apply via Website

On February 4th, Nowon District Mayor Oh Seung-rok Becomes a Human Book to Share His Experiences

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Nowon-gu (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) announced that it is operating a ‘Human Library’ as a space for communication and sharing within the community.

The Human Library is a new concept library service that lends ‘human books’?people with specific experiences and knowledge?instead of traditional books. Readers select a person they want to meet and engage in free conversation to access that person’s experiences and expertise.

Currently, the Nowon Human Library holds 814 human books. They cover 21 themes, including career-related topics such as finance, healthcare, broadcasting, and education, as well as life-related themes like neighbors, health, travel, and leisure.

Nowon District Mayor Oh Seung-rok is also registered as a human book in the political science field under the theme ‘Virtues of Politicians: Empathy and Passion.’ Recently, a resident in their 30s, Mr. A, curious about whether Nowon-gu is a good neighborhood to raise children after marriage, applied to read this human book. On February 4th, he will meet the mayor in person to hear about the district’s strengths and future plans.

Reading a human book is free and available to anyone from the 5th grade of elementary school and above. Applications can be made through the website. Interested readers select a book, then submit their preferred meeting dates and times ranked from first to third choice, along with about three questions they want to ask. The reading location is the ‘Human Cafe’ on the basement first floor of Nowon Central Library. Sessions last up to one hour, including Q&A, and can be one-on-one or in groups.

In addition to on-demand reading, the Nowon Human Library is actively creating a space for unbiased communication by running various projects such as ▲Youth Future Empathy for middle and high school students to explore careers and break stereotypes, ▲Visiting Human Library at locations requested by readers, and ▲Podcast and YouTube operations.

Meanwhile, the district has been operating the nation’s first permanent Human Library since 2012. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, over the past three years, an average of about 2,000 readers annually have accessed diverse life stories and wisdom.

For example, last year, a housewife, Ms. B, who recently moved in, visited the Nowon Human Library seeking information about neighbors and childcare. She read three human books on the topic of ‘housewives’ and found great help in settling down. A student, Mr. C, who explored various books for career guidance, later registered as a human book after becoming an adult.

Nowon District Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, “I am pleased that the Nowon Human Library, filled with the scent of people, has been steadily continuing for 12 years with the love of many. I thank the experts who donate their talents as human books, and I will also prepare diligently to be a valuable resource and time for readers as a human book myself.”