Nowon-gu, Recruiting Participants for Reading Community ChaekMoMo (Meeting Gathered by Books)

‘Chaekmomo’ Recruiting Participants Until March 21, 6 PM, Selecting 30 Reading Community Teams
Expanded Book Purchase Support Based on 2023 Chaekmomo Participant Feedback
Supporting Reading Community Activities, Author Meetings, Leadership Training, and Public Forums Through Year-End

Nowon-gu, Seoul (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) announced that it will carry out the 2024 “Chaekmomo (Gathering through Books)” project, a community reading support program, and is recruiting participants.

The aim is to revitalize local libraries and contribute to the formation of a community that pursues social values through community reading activities where participants read and discuss books together.

According to a survey conducted after last year’s “Chaekmomo” project ended, 86.3% of participants responded that they “experienced diversity of thought through interaction with others via reading and discussion,” and 91.3% said they “intend to continue reading club activities and have increased interest in libraries” even after the project ended.

Encouraged by the high satisfaction and positive response from local residents, the district decided to carry out the “Chaekmomo” project again this year and has started recruiting 30 community reading groups. Selected reading communities will receive 500,000 KRW per team for activity expenses, as well as support for education and discussion programs.

The activity expenses will be used entirely for book purchases, reflecting last year’s survey results, to strengthen support for reading activities.

In addition to activity expenses, various other supports will be provided. First, an orientation will be held to present outstanding reading community cases from 2023, share detailed support contents and the annual schedule, and provide know-how on running reading meetings.

Furthermore, educational programs for fostering a reading culture and maintaining the community will be operated. Programs include ▲Meetings with authors, ▲Reading Facilitator (reading club leader) training established in response to demands for more specialized education, and ▲Reading discussion education. The district plans to expand the target audience for programs like “Meetings with authors” so that many residents beyond the selected teams can participate.

At the end of the year, the journals and records created by the 30 reading groups during their activities will be compiled into a book and produced as community materials. After the project ends, the district plans to operate a shared library that exhibits recommended books and activity materials from the reading communities to promote the “Chaekmomo” project.

Those wishing to participate in the Chaekmomo project can download the application form from the Nowon-gu Office or Nowon-gu Public Library website and submit it via email to the person in charge by 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 21. Eligible applicants are reading groups of four or more people residing in or based in Nowon-gu.

The final selected groups will be announced on April 24 on the Nowon-gu Office and Nowon-gu Public Library websites. For detailed information regarding application and activities, inquiries can be made by phone to Bulam Library.

Oh Seung-rok, Mayor of Nowon-gu, said, “Reading and discussing books opens up powerful opportunities for communication and sharing,” and added, “I hope that ‘Chaekmomo,’ the gathering through books, becomes a platform where participants share their thoughts and feelings, providing a rich cultural experience.”