Clear Recovery Trend... Public Library Users Increased by 20% in 2022

Announcement of the '2023 National Public Library Statistical Survey' Results (Based on 2022 Data)

Public libraries nationwide, which were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, are returning to normal. Last year, both library users and participants in related programs increased by more than 20% compared to the previous year.

Namsan Library. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

According to the "2023 National Public Library Statistical Survey" jointly conducted and announced by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Library Association, the number of visitors to public libraries last year was recorded at 175 million. The number of visitors per library was 142,160. The number of borrowed books also increased by 1.0% compared to the previous year, reaching 111,824 books per library.

Reading and cultural programs were held 87 times per library, with an average of 20,353 participants per library. This represents a 24.1% increase compared to the previous year.

The number of public libraries also increased. Compared to the previous year, 28 libraries (2.3%) were added, bringing the total number of public libraries nationwide to 1,236. By region, there are 199 libraries in Seoul, 309 in Gyeonggi, 79 in Gyeongnam, 73 in Jeonnam, 71 in Gyeongbuk, 66 in Jeonbuk, 62 in Chungnam, 61 in Gangwon, 58 in Incheon, 54 in Chungbuk, 51 in Busan, 44 in Daegu, 27 in Gwangju, 25 in Daejeon, 22 in Jeju, 20 in Ulsan, and 15 in Sejong.

There was a notable increase in electronic materials and books related to people with disabilities. The number of electronic materials per library was 68,195 items, showing a 48.5% increase compared to the previous year. The number of materials for people with disabilities in public libraries was 772 items per library, confirming a 7.8% increase compared to the previous year.