Smart Library No. 9 Opened in Pungnap-dong on the 10th... A New 'Energizer' for the Declining Area
Second Expansion This Year Following September... Reflecting Popularity with Over 100,000 Users This Year
Songpa-gu (Mayor Seo Gang-seok) announced on the 10th that it has established and started operating the 9th Songpa Smart Library at Pungnap-dong 83-29 and two other plots, which are compensation-completed sites around the Pungnap-dong earthen fortification.
The 9th Songpa Smart Library, opened near Pungnap Market, was the second to be established this year following the Jamsil Neighborhood Park Smart Library, which opened in September. At the district level, this expanded reading culture facility on the compensated idle land aims to revitalize Pungnap-dong, which has been stagnant due to long-term cultural heritage excavations.
Users of the eight Songpa Smart Libraries this year reached 110,000 as of November, a 1.5-fold increase compared to the previous year, and visitors to the 11 district-run libraries also increased by about 10% year-on-year.
Reflecting this increase in reading population, the district is installing smart libraries throughout the area where books can be borrowed and returned conveniently 365 days a year.
Following the Jamsil 2-dong Community Center Smart Library, which was visited by 27,000 people, the Jamsilnaru Station, Songpa Book Museum, and Bangi Station branches were all used by more than 10,000 residents each.
In addition, eight smart libraries including Machon Station, Geoyeo Station, Jangji Station, and Jamsil Neighborhood Park provide a convenient reading environment for nearby residents in major locations with high foot traffic.
In particular, the new Pungnap-dong Smart Library is expected not only to signify the expansion of cultural facilities but also to serve as a source of vitality for the area, which is becoming slum-like due to sporadic demolitions. Together with the small park created alongside, it is expected to become a ‘book resting place’ in residents’ daily lives.
The Songpa Smart Libraries house about 500 new and bestselling books across various fields such as humanities, history, and novels. For residents’ convenience, all branches offer the ‘Chaeksori Service,’ which allows borrowing books from other libraries at the requested branch; this service will be available at the Pungnap-dong Smart Library starting January 7 next year.
Any member of the Songpa-gu Integrated Library can use the smart libraries free of charge from 5 a.m. to midnight and borrow up to three books per person for 14 days. For more detailed locations or usage methods, please check the Songpa-gu Integrated Library website.
Seo Gang-seok, Mayor of Songpa-gu, said, “The smart libraries have surpassed 100,000 users for the first time this year and are becoming everyday cultural spaces leading the local book culture,” adding, “We will strive to provide various opportunities to encounter books so that more residents can enjoy the pleasure of reading.”
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