"Ddingdong!"... Nowon-gu Operates Book Delivery Service

Book Delivery to Homes or Workplaces for Residents Unable to Visit Libraries
Relax and Enjoy Reading for Up to 21 Days with Just a Click on the Website
A Culturally Enriched City with Books Everywhere... Efforts to Build a Library Infrastructure within a 10-Minute Walk

Nowon-gu (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) is operating the ‘Ddingdong! Book Delivery Service’ for residents who find it difficult to visit during library operating hours.

The ‘Ddingdong! Book Delivery Service’ is a program that delivers requested books to the homes or workplaces of residents who have difficulty visiting library reading rooms, such as people with disabilities, pregnant women, and the elderly.

The eligible users include not only people with disabilities, the elderly, and pregnant women, but also caregivers of infants and toddlers, parents raising two or more preschool children, single-parent families, and other residents who have difficulty using the library.

Residents who wish to use the book delivery service can apply through the website after becoming regular members of the Nowon-gu public library. Once the applicant is approved as an eligible user, they will be contacted individually and guided on how to use the service. From then on, they can request book deliveries up to twice a month within their borrowing limit. After applying, the books are shipped within 2-3 days, and users can read and return the books within a maximum of 21 days including the delivery day. Returns can also be made using the visit collection service.

The ‘Ddingdong! Book Delivery Service’ is the first of its kind implemented by a district in Seoul. After a pilot operation in July 2021, it has been officially operating since 2022. The usage performance, which was 1,550 loans in the first year 2022, more than doubled to 3,658 loans last year, the third year.

In addition, the district is carrying out various projects to make books easily and conveniently accessible anywhere. The ‘Neighborhood Bookstore Direct Loan Service,’ which allows borrowing books at bookstores instead of libraries, has recorded over 10,000 loans annually.

The district is also expanding libraries extensively. Currently, there are 9 public libraries leading the way, along with 41 other libraries including small libraries and smart libraries. Furthermore, the district is promoting the construction of 6 more libraries to build an infrastructure of ‘a library within a 10-minute walk in our neighborhood.’

Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, “We aim to create a city where books are always at the center of a rich daily life, beyond just acquiring knowledge, but as a culture,” and added, “We will support so that no Nowon-gu resident faces any barriers to encountering books.”

Guro-gu to Pay 50,000 KRW Reward to Reporters of Welfare Crisis Households

“Find isolated crisis households and get rewards... Two birds with one stone”

Guro-gu announced that to activate the discovery of welfare-vulnerable groups, it will increase the ‘Welfare Crisis Household Reporting Reward’ from 30,000 KRW to 50,000 KRW starting this year.

The reward support project for reporters of crisis households was first launched last year to actively discover neighbors in need who are in welfare blind spots and provide welfare benefits to those households.

Any resident of Guro-gu can report neighbors in difficulty by contacting their local community service center or the Guro-gu Crisis Household Reporting Talk (KakaoTalk channel). When the reported person is selected as a welfare beneficiary, the reporter receives a reward.

The specific reporting targets include △households struggling with livelihood due to unemployment or business closure △households needing help due to health issues such as illness or disability △and other households requiring assistance due to economic difficulties. However, the crisis household themselves, relatives, and public officials are excluded from receiving rewards, and the total reward per reporter is capped at 300,000 KRW annually.

A Guro-gu official said, “A little interest can provide great help to neighbors in crisis situations,” and added, “Since the reward has been increased from this year, we hope more reports will come in so that helping hands can reach neighbors in need.”