Guro Digital Library Operates Reading Culture Program for People with Developmental Disabilities

Selected for the '2024 Disabled Reading Culture Program' Organized by the National Library for Disabled
Collaborating with Eden Disabled Welfare Center to Operate a 3-Month Reading Culture Program for People with Developmental Disabilities

Guro-gu (Mayor Moon Heon-il) announced that the Guro Miracle Library, managed by the district, was selected for the ‘2024 Reading Culture Program for Persons with Disabilities’ organized by the National Library for Persons with Disabilities in May and operated a reading culture program for people with developmental disabilities for three months.

The ‘2024 Reading Culture Program Support Project for Persons with Disabilities,’ hosted by the National Library for Persons with Disabilities under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, was established to enhance the sense of belonging of persons with disabilities as members of the local community and to provide opportunities to experience quality reading culture. In particular, it plays a significant role in guaranteeing the right to know and the reading culture living area for persons with disabilities while fostering cooperation with local welfare centers for the disabled.

This year, the Guro Miracle Library, selected for the support project, signed a business agreement with the ‘Eden Disabled Welfare Center’ located in Gocheok-dong, Guro-gu, and operated the reading culture program ‘Our Picture Book Picnic’ for eight people with developmental disabilities.

From May to July, the Guro Miracle Library conducted a total of 13 sessions, including one library usage education session, ten reading program sessions, and two cultural experience sessions, providing an opportunity for participants with disabilities who had no prior experience using the library to become familiar with it.

The specific program was designed to improve essential emotional and empathy skills needed in daily life for persons with disabilities through basic library usage education, demonstrations of borrowing and returning books, physical activities using picture books of various genres, color expression activities, friendship with peers, traditional play experiences, role-playing, and building relationships with neighbors.

Additionally, the program concluded with events such as the June healing program ‘The Picture Book Flowers Have Bloomed’ and the magic show ‘The Art Museum That Reads Books’ held on the last day of July.

A Guro-gu official stated, “We will continue to plan and operate various programs that guarantee the right to know and the reading culture living area for knowledge and information marginalized groups,” adding, “We will actively support the Guro Miracle Library so that it can play a meaningful role as a library essential to the local community.”