Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo-gu, Communicates with Public Library Librarians

On the 19th, a day to hear the voices of all librarians working in Mapo-gu

18 librarian staff members from directly managed district libraries gathered... ‘Dialogue with Librarians’ to hear voices from the library field

Park Gang-su, District Mayor, “The role of librarians supporting the changing book culture is important... We will continue communication”

Mapo-gu (District Mayor Park Gang-su) held a ‘Dialogue with Librarians’ session on the 19th at the district office’s large conference room.

Since January, the district has been focusing on communication with library directors in charge of operating district libraries as well as staff working on-site at libraries, aiming not only to expand library infrastructure but also to enhance operational substance.

By opening a communication platform, they have shared major government and city policies related to libraries and sought ways to revitalize operations for each library.

The ‘Dialogue with Librarians’ held that day was also an occasion to listen to voices from the library service field, with all 18 librarian staff members from the district libraries directly managed by Mapo-gu attending. Park Gang-su, the mayor of Mapo-gu, joined the dialogue to listen to the staff’s difficulties and suggestions and engaged in discussions.

The staff freely shared opinions to improve the quality of library services, such as replacing outdated computer equipment, utilizing spaces for adolescent users, constructing new libraries, as well as their thoughts on the promotion system.

In response, Mayor Park said, “I have also tried writing books, so I understand the value of books better than anyone.” and continued the conversation.

He added, “Now that we have passed the era centered on paper books and moved to convenient and practical reading media like e-books, libraries and reading culture that can utilize these media, and the role of librarians supporting them, are very important. I will meet and communicate with you frequently, actively review the opinions you give, and reflect them in our district’s library policies.”

The district holds a ‘District Library Operation Network Meeting’ quarterly to discuss ways to revitalize library operations. This meeting, where representatives from all 16 district libraries gather, is scheduled to be held two more times by the end of this year.

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