Seongnam City Opens 12 'Reading Plaza Libraries' to Promote Urban Reading Culture

Seongnam City to Open 12 Unmanned Libraries on April 26
Opening Ceremony to Be Held at Jungwon Youth Center Plaza
Seongnam City: "Will Present a New Reading Model"

Seongnam City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Shin Sangjin) announced on April 23 that it will open "Reading Plaza Libraries" at 12 locations, including subway station plazas, parks, and the Tancheon area, all at once on April 26.

A reading plaza library established at Sutgol Square in Taepyeong-dong, Sujeong-gu, Seongnam City. Provided by Seongnam City

The city created these open-air libraries over the past four months, spending 168 million won on the project, so that citizens can easily access books close to their daily lives.

The libraries are located in the following areas: Sutgol Square (Taepyeong-dong), Wirye Riverside Park, and Taepyeong Park in the Sujeong district; the plaza of Jungwon Youth Center (formerly Jungwon Youth Training Center) and Sanseong Park in the Jungwon district; and Yuldong and Central Parks, Jeongja and Pangyo Station Plazas, two locations at Yatap Station Plaza, and the picnic area within public land in Seohyeon-dong along the Tancheon in the Bundang district.

Each Reading Plaza Library is designed around the theme of a "living room in the city."

A red bookshelf with sliding doors (measuring 1200 cm wide, 2200 cm high, and 80 cm deep) has been installed in the open space, stocked with about 300 books.

Long benches or beanbag sofas have been placed nearby to create a comfortable atmosphere where people can sit and read books.

Books on the shelves can be freely taken out and read without any borrowing procedure, as long as they are returned to their original place the same day.

Seongnam City has assigned one "Reading Plaza Library Guardian" (a citizen volunteer, total of 12) to each location to flexibly manage the facilities for two hours a day.

Staff from the local public libraries will replace the books with new titles every quarter.

To represent the 12 Reading Plaza Libraries, Seongnam City will hold an opening ceremony at the Jungwon Youth Center Plaza (Hadaewon-dong) at 2 p.m. on April 26.

Mayor Shin Sangjin and around 100 citizens are expected to attend the ceremony, which will feature the unveiling of a plaque, a performance by the Seongnam City Korean Traditional Music Orchestra, balloon art, and face painting.

Mayor Shin Sangjin stated, "The Reading Plaza Libraries will present a new reading model, allowing citizens to enjoy daily life together with books."