Opening of a Community-Oriented Library for Reading and Learning, Communication and Empathy, Rest and Cultural Coexistence

Yeongdeungpo-gu Opens 'Neulsaemdri Village Library' Where Books, Communication, and Rest Coexist... Open Library, Reading Room, Community Space, Rooftop Garden, and More... Transforming Idle Spaces into a Community Hub

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] The study room, once surrounded by partitioned desks and characterized by silence and stiffness, has been reborn as a neighborhood community space for residents.

Yeongdeungpo-gu (District Mayor Chae Hyun-il) announced that the youth study room located on the 4th floor of Dorim-dong Community Center has been renovated into the 'Neulseamdri Village Library' and began pilot operation on November 29.

The Neulseamdri Village Library spans 488㎡ and was created by remodeling the old, underutilized study room, corridors, storage, and other idle spaces into one open area without walls.

The space is mainly composed of an open library with about 4,000 new books, a study caf?-style learning area, and a community room. It has transformed from a simple place for reading and studying into a lifestyle-oriented library where reading, learning, communication, empathy, relaxation, and culture coexist?a cultural community space that facilitates communication and knowledge acquisition through books.

Upon entering the library, visitors first notice the high ceilings and open space. The walls and partitions of the closed study room were removed, and movable bookshelves, glass walls, and folding doors were used to enhance openness. Circular tables and chairs create a caf?-like atmosphere.

One corner of the library features sofas and bean bags, allowing visitors to read comfortably and freely. There is also a children’s specialized reading area filled with various books that stimulate children's imagination.

The once barren concrete rooftop terrace has been transformed into a small garden where any resident can stop by to relax. The rooftop garden with a grassy lawn serves as a resting place to enjoy leisure with books, a community space for free gatherings and communication, and an outdoor program area for book discussions and humanities lectures.

The Neulseamdri Village Library will undergo a pilot operation period until January 9 of next year. Currently, only book reading is available, but lending, returning, and interlibrary loan services will be implemented later. The study room can be used via unmanned payment through kiosks, and it will be free of charge during the pilot operation period.

The library’s operating hours are from 12:00 PM to 9:00 PM, Monday through Saturday, and it is closed on Sundays. For more details about usage, contact the Future Education Division of Yeongdeungpo-gu Office or the Neulseamdri Village Library.

Chae Hyun-il, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo-gu, stated, “We are promoting the library project with the residents’ wish for a library in our neighborhood where they can come and go comfortably and freely like their own home,” adding, “We will accelerate policy efforts so that the village library can become a core space for expanding the local reading culture and the resident community.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.