Suncheon City Sindae Library, Back to Citizens After Renovation

Published 23 Nov.2023 15:05(KST)

Temporary Opening on the 28th, Opening Ceremony on December 9th

Suncheon City, Jeollanam-do (Mayor Noh Gwan-gyu) announced that it has completed preparations for the operation of the newly expanded and relocated Suncheon City Shindae Library and will open the newly renovated library on November 28.

Construction of the Suncheon City Shindae Library began in October 2021 near Zwaya Elementary School. With a total project cost of approximately 18.6 billion KRW (7.2 billion KRW from the national government and 11.4 billion KRW from the city), the library was built with one basement floor, two above-ground floors, and a total floor area of 5,681㎡. It is the largest library in Jeollanam-do and is expected to serve the Shindae district and surrounding areas.

[Photo by Suncheon City]

The city will start a temporary opening on the 28th (9 AM to 7 PM), followed by preparation for the official opening from December 6 to 8, and will hold the grand opening ceremony at 11 AM on Saturday, December 9, marking the official start of operations.

Featuring a complex cultural space connecting books, people, and spaces, visitors can comfortably stay and relax through five diverse and unique areas.

The interior is designed as user-friendly spaces including ▲Children and Family Area (Children and Family Room, Infant Materials Room, Outdoor Book Playground) ▲Reference and Reading Area (Reference Room, Periodicals Room, Youth Zone, Book Maru) ▲Digital Information Area (Media Room, Smart Zone, Audiobook Booth) ▲Cultural Creation Area (Ullim Theater, Open Auditorium, Star Workshop, Yori Yori Room, Arts and Physical Education Room) ▲Reading Expansion Area (Water Garden, Lawn Plaza, Rooftop Garden).

To commemorate the opening, on December 14, a lecture titled “Creativity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence” will be held featuring author Kim Young-ha, writer of 「Farewell」, and eight other authors will be invited for a series of relay meetings with readers.

Additionally, during the temporary opening period, the library will hold the for library users, offering small prizes.

More than 80 volunteer workers recruited during the preparation for the opening expressed, “We have learned and grown through volunteer experience and want to contribute to the operation of Shindae Library in the future.”

Going forward, volunteers will engage in various activities at Shindae Library such as organizing books, reading to visitors, and guiding tour programs.

A library official said, “We believe this achievement is the result of the interest and love from citizens who cherish books and the library culture of Suncheon.” He added, “We aimed to create a space where analog and digital coexist and where many people can communicate. We hope many families, friends, and couples will visit and use the library.”