Opening of Songpa Smart Library Branch 6, Open 365 Days a Year

6th Branch Opens at Jamsil 2-dong Community Center, Lending Service Available from July 28

Targeting Areas with Few Libraries and High Foot Traffic... Total of 6 Branches Established

‘Interlibrary Loan’ Service Enables Access to Books from All Public Libraries in Songpa-gu

Songpa-gu (Mayor Seo Gang-seok) opened a smart library at the Jamsil 2-dong Community Center on the 28th of last month.

With this opening, the number of locations in Songpa-gu where books can be borrowed 365 days a year has increased to six.

Songpa-gu has a total of 10 public libraries, with about 66,000 residents per library. It is the fifth largest among Seoul’s 25 districts, making measures to improve library accessibility necessary. Accordingly, since 2019, the district has been installing smart libraries to enhance the reading environment.

Two main factors were considered when selecting installation sites: ▲areas with few libraries within residents’ daily radius, limiting access to book lending services ▲areas with high foot traffic to allow more residents to use the service.

Areas with few libraries within daily radius include Bangi Station (2nd branch), Macheon Station (3rd branch), and Geoyeo Station (4th branch). Among these, Macheon and Geoyeo areas have seen increased demand for libraries due to population influx from redevelopment. The establishment of smart libraries quickly met the needs of residents in these areas.

Areas with high foot traffic include Jamsilnaru Station (1st branch), Jangji Station (5th branch), and the newly established Jamsil 2-dong Community Center (6th branch). All three locations are near large apartment complexes and officetels. Especially near Jamsil, where previously only the Songpa Children’s Library existed, the two new smart libraries help meet residents’ demand for library services.

At Songpa Smart Libraries, residents can borrow about 500 new and bestselling books across various genres such as humanities, history, and novels free of charge. In addition, the ‘Chaeksori Service,’ an interlibrary loan service, is provided, allowing users to request and conveniently borrow books from the district’s 10 public libraries.

Anyone who is a member of the Songpa-gu Integrated Library can use the service, which operates from 5 a.m. to midnight. Each person can borrow up to two books for 14 days, and returns can be made at the smart library where the books were borrowed. For inquiries, please visit the Songpa-gu Integrated Library website.

Seo Gang-seok, Mayor of Songpa-gu, stated, “We will open the 7th smart library within this year to further expand book lending services,” adding, “We will continue to develop various projects so that more residents can conveniently enjoy reading opportunities in their daily lives.”