Gyeonggi Province will launch a ‘subscription-based e-book service’ starting from the 20th.
Unlike general e-book services that have simultaneous access limits, the subscription-based e-book service allows users to immediately access desired e-books and audiobooks on mobile devices, PCs, and e-book readers without reservations or waiting.
This year’s subscription-based e-book service has been improved compared to last year. The number of available books increased by 57%, from 60,000 titles to 140,000 titles, and a new ‘Reading Lounge’ was established, enabling users to write reading reviews and records, recommend books, and participate in reading discussions. Additionally, the themed curation service (providing recommended e-book lists), which was offered once a month, has been expanded to at least once a week to help users select books.
Members of the Gyeonggi-do Cyber Library can use up to 18 e-books per person.
Subscription-based e-books can be used for 14 days with a limit of 6 books per person per month (4 e-books and 2 audiobooks). General e-books can be borrowed for 7 days with a limit of 10 books per person, and foreign e-books can be borrowed for 14 days with a limit of 2 books per person. Detailed usage instructions can be found on the Gyeonggi-do Cyber Library website (library.kr).
Park Min-gyeong, Director of the Library Policy Division of Gyeonggi Province, said, "We will continue to provide not only subscription-based e-books but also existing owned e-books and foreign e-book services simultaneously to support residents in enjoying reading freely anytime and anywhere."
The subscription-based e-book service was first introduced in May 2022 through the Resident Participatory Budget, and its usage rate has steadily increased. The average monthly users were about 4,700 in 2022, about 6,400 in 2023, and about 9,200 in 2024, showing an average annual growth rate of 27%.
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