Transformation into Digital Space, Book Culture Center, and Maker Workshop
Remodeling of Simgok Library, Creation of Chikchikpokpok Small Library
Relay Reading Campaign for 'Books of Bucheon' Launched
Bucheon City in Gyeonggi Province is promoting various projects to enhance the competitiveness of the "City of Reading." Partnering with GS Power, the city is launching a book donation project and aiming to transform libraries through the operation of specialized spaces and remodeling efforts.
The city signed an agreement with GS Power for the "Book+ (Plus) Power Project" to promote reading culture and spread the culture of knowledge donation. This project operates by converting the number of books read by citizens into book purchase funds for donation, targeting an annual reading volume of 2 million books, with each book valued at 50 KRW, aiming for a total donation amount of 100 million KRW.
The city will disclose the project's progress to citizens through the Bucheon City Library website. The donation funds will be used to purchase high-quality books desired by citizens from local bookstores. Through this project, the city plans to provide citizens with a better reading environment and quality reading content, while encouraging interest in reading.
The "2024 Library Week" will be held throughout April. This event commemorates the 2nd Library Day (April 12) and the 60th Library Week (April 12?18) this year.
During this period, 16 municipal libraries and 19 small libraries will host 34 exhibitions, performances, lectures, and experience programs under the slogan "Library, Preserving Your Tomorrow." The city will also expand the book loan limit from 5 to 10 books through the "Dumbuk (Book) Dream" program and hold a reading event called "Return Overdue Books, Borrow Immediately."
At the '2024 Bucheon Book' proclamation ceremony held on the 3rd of last month, Jo Yong-ik, the mayor of Bucheon, handed a book to the first participant in the reading relay by category and took a commemorative photo. 2024.2.3 [Photo by Bucheon City]
Additionally, the city will carry out the "2024 Bucheon Book" relay reading campaign until November. Various related events such as meetings with authors and traveling reading discussion sessions will be held throughout the region.
This year’s Bucheon Books are ▲General category: Bright Regards (Baek Su-rin, Munhakdongne) ▲Children’s category: Ribo and Anne (Uh Yoon-jung, Munhakdongne) ▲Comics category: The Child Who Walks on Shadows (Park So-rim, Woorinabi).
The "Hope Book Immediate Loan Service," which allows citizens to be the first to receive new books they want from neighborhood bookstores, is also progressing smoothly. This project has maintained a user satisfaction rate above 90% for seven consecutive years and is operated at 13 locations this year. Alongside this, the "11th Reading Marathon," which combines reading and marathon running, and "Welcome Baby! Bookstart," which gifts book packages to newborns, continue to operate.
Bucheon City remodeled aging study rooms to create digital media spaces, maker workshops, and a book culture center. This is to provide visitors to libraries with diverse experiences beyond reading and studying.
The Sangdong Library Digital Literacy Center operates 18 programs, including short video production, to nurture citizen creators. The Starlight Workshop at Byeolbitmaru Library is a family-oriented workshop offering maker programs such as clothing printing and mug pressing.
The Wonmi Library’s Wonmi Clean Zone serves as a youth space, providing 15 programs including support for club activities, while the Dreamlight Library Bucheon Book Culture Center contributes to the revitalization of publishing culture with 13 programs related to publishing and writing.
Interior of Kkumbit Library Bucheon Book Culture Center, which opened in June last year. The old study rooms were remodeled to expand the citizen creative space. [Photo by Bucheon City]
The city is also promoting a remodeling project to transform Simgok Library, Bucheon’s first municipal library, into an open cultural space. This space will preserve the symbolic and locational characteristics of the circular building and incorporate opinions from residents and experts to become a space housing an art gallery.
The "Chikchikpokpok Small Library" for busy office workers will be additionally established inside Sosa Station on the Seohae Line. This will be the third such library following Sangdong Station and Sinjungdong Station on Line 7. Along with this, the "Smart Libraries" installed at Yeokgok Station, Songnae Station, and Bucheon Station on Line 1 provide easy and fast book borrowing and returning services.
Jo Yong-ik, Mayor of Bucheon, stated, "We will continue to leverage the advantage of having libraries near homes and diversify library spaces and programs to create new competitiveness for the 'City of Reading.'"
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