[Interview] Oh Seung-rok, Nowon District Mayor: "Creating a Library Within a 10-Minute Walk from Your Home"

Creating Libraries Within a 10-Minute Walk... Establishing a Future-Oriented Library System, Enhancing User Convenience Through Improved Book Lending and Return Services... Planning Future Library Operations by Benchmarking Differentiated Services of Boston and New York Libraries

"Starting with the remodeling of Wolgye Library in May, we plan to build six additional public libraries and renovate the spaces and facilities of three others."

This is what Oh Seung-rok, Mayor of Nowon-gu, said, emphasizing his pledge during the 8th term of local government to establish neighborhood libraries within a 10-minute walk from residents' homes.

The district has divided its local living areas into seven zones: Wolgye, Gongneung, Hagye, Junggye, Nowon, Madeul, and Sanggye, and is actively expanding infrastructure centered around key libraries.

Nowon-gu’s library projects are already well-activated. There are eight public libraries and 27 small neighborhood libraries, with a total collection of 561,625 volumes and an annual lending volume of approximately 1.43 million books.

Considering the size of the libraries and their collections, Nowon-gu ranks among the top districts in Seoul. The interlibrary loan service within the district (allowing borrowing and returning books from other libraries at a preferred library) recorded 274,100 loans last year, significantly higher compared to other districts.

Mayor Oh stated, "We launched Seoul’s first 'Ddingdong Book Delivery' service, delivering books right to residents’ doorsteps. This service is not limited to pregnant women, people with disabilities, or the elderly but has been expanded to include office workers who find it difficult to visit libraries on weekdays." Last year alone, 2,144 books were delivered to about 250 reading-disadvantaged individuals. The 'Neighborhood Bookstore Direct Lending' service, where requested books are picked up from local bookstores, had 14,092 applicants and provided a total of 11,522 requested books, a 66% increase compared to the previous year. This collaboration with local bookstores is also credited with revitalizing the local bookstore economy.

The district is not stopping there and is preparing for future libraries by establishing AI-equipped autonomous book lending systems. By September, the book management program will be replaced, and the library information and communication technology system will be expanded. The website will be revamped to offer more convenient access for users. Digital content such as e-books and audiobooks will be increased, and personalized book recommendations will be expanded through library kiosks. Additionally, smart libraries capable of 24-hour unmanned automation will be operated starting this September at Nowon Station and Hagye Station, where foot traffic is high.

Mayor Oh said, "In the second half of this year, we plan to expand interlibrary returns and unmanned reserved book lending services, which will bring revolutionary changes to book lending and return services. To minimize delivery delays caused by increased book logistics, we plan to outsource the book delivery service starting March next year."

Nowon-gu is also developing a visual brand design that reflects the unique identity and future vision of its public libraries. Mayor Oh stated, "We plan to enhance the intimacy of libraries and strengthen Nowon libraries’ competitiveness through internal and external promotion." The newly developed visual brand is scheduled to be unveiled in May.

Furthermore, the district is expanding various opportunities to foster a reading culture and improve residents’ quality of life by connecting with culture and the arts. Last year’s 'Nowon Book Festival' stocked about 2,000 books, operated a park library, featured 25 booths, and hosted planned performances, attracting approximately 40,000 visitors. The humanities book concert 'Unnoticed Personal Things,' which selects authors and books on relatable themes and offers high-quality content through performance direction, attracted about 1,500 participants last year. The 'Nowon-gu One Book Reading' program, where residents directly participate in selecting the book of the year, and the 'Chaekmomo' project, supporting small group reading activities, are also active. This year, 178 teams applied for 30 available spots, showing strong community interest.

Mayor Oh said, "In Nowon-gu, there is a library where people become a book themselves, sharing their lives and experiences." He added, "Recently, I personally became a 'human book' and had conversations with residents, which was a special experience." The 'Human Library,' the first permanent operation of its kind nationwide, holds the largest collection of over 800 human books and served about 2,900 users last year. As living books that engage in dialogue, it is a specialized library promoting understanding and empathy for diversity and is expected to have a dedicated 100-pyeong (approximately 330 square meters) independent space within two years.

Mayor Oh recently visited the historically rich libraries of Boston and New York to observe their innovative public library spaces and services. He studied advanced cases where information services from other local institutions (literacy, employment support, welfare, etc.) are integrated and provided to users, concretizing the blueprint for the future Nowon-gu public library.

Oh Seung-rok, Mayor of Nowon-gu, emphasized, "Like advanced libraries that provide various information needed by residents, such as culture, education, employment, and welfare, we must ultimately move toward supporting many aspects of residents’ daily lives beyond just book information."

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