'City of Readers'... What Is the Secret Behind Yongin's Number One Book Loan Record?

'Hope Book Direct Loan System' and 'Reading Marathon' Catch Attention
Public Libraries to Expand from 19 to 24 Locations by 2028

47.5%. This is the 'annual comprehensive reading rate' of adults in South Korea as of 2021. It represents the percentage of adults who have read at least one general book, including e-books and audiobooks, within a year. This means that more than one in two people did not even read a single book in a year.

The story is different in Yongin City, Gyeonggi Province. Last year, the number of library users in Yongin was 6.46 million. Based on a population of 1,078,000 (as of February), a simple calculation shows that each Yongin citizen used the library about six times a year. The number of users increased by 10% compared to the previous year. Yongin has ranked first in public library book loans in Gyeonggi Province for six consecutive years. Last year, with 6,021,903 loans, it exceeded second-place Seongnam City (4,337,612 loans) by as much as 38.8%.

The secret is attributed to various reading promotion policies and infrastructure. Lee Sang-il, mayor of Yongin, said, "The secret is that libraries actively approached the citizens," adding, "Because the libraries are operated from the citizens' perspective, many citizens visit the libraries."

Yongin Seongbok Library. It was designed to break away from monotonous spatial arrangements, allowing citizens to visit the library without any burden.
[Photo by Yongin City]

Lending New Books at Bookstores?

The core of Yongin City's reading policy is lowering the threshold for libraries. The most eye-catching is the 'Hope Book Direct Loan System.' This service was first introduced by the city among public libraries nationwide. Citizens can borrow and read desired books without purchasing them at local bookstores. This service is available at about 20 bookstores in Yongin.

The 'Smart Library' also lowered the threshold for libraries. It is a system where busy citizens can borrow books from 'Smart Libraries' installed at 10 locations such as subway stations without visiting the library. The city is also expanding the 'Interlibrary Loan Service,' which allows citizens to receive books from other libraries at a nearby library if the desired book is not available or is currently loaned out, to 34 locations.

Four recently opened libraries?Suji, Yeongdeok, Seonong, and Seongbok?have introduced unmanned issuance machines that issue membership cards on the spot, simplifying the registration process so that cards can be issued within 30 seconds. During the last week of every month, the loan period is doubled, and the number of loans for families with multiple children is increased to allow citizens to enjoy books more comfortably.

Enhancing Familiarity through Various Events like Reading Marathons, Book Concerts, and Book Festivals

The city also holds various events that help citizens become familiar with reading. The 'Reading Marathon' is a representative example. Participants read books converted into a target distance by counting one page as 2 meters, and write book reviews. Those who complete the event receive benefits such as extended loan periods and increased loan quantities for a year. Finishers are issued completion certificates, and the mayor's award is given to those who write the most reviews in each category. Schools with many finishers are selected as excellent reading schools.

The city also conducts various reading culture events such as Bookstart, which supports picture books for infants and toddlers, author invitation lectures, book concerts, reading clubs, and book festivals.

In particular, the city is pursuing specialized operations for each library considering the composition of residents, breaking away from uniform libraries. Sixteen specialized themes have been selected, including ecology and environment (Seonong), the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Suji), silver generation (Guseong), multilingual (Seongbok), and arts (Pogok), with related collections and specialized programs operated at each library.

Children are experiencing virtual reality at the VR·AR Experience Center of Yongin Suji Library.
[Photo by Yongin City]

Expanding Library Infrastructure through Bold Investment

Yongin City spares no investment in expanding library infrastructure. The annual book purchase budget is 2.3 billion KRW, the highest expenditure in the province. Based on this, the city continuously expands online content such as alternative materials for the disabled, multicultural foreign books, electronic resources for non-face-to-face reading environments, and video-on-demand (VOD) services to support reading welfare for vulnerable groups.

The city is also continuously expanding libraries to make it easier for citizens to access them. The number of public libraries, currently 19, is planned to increase to 24 by 2028. Dongcheon Library is scheduled to open in the second half of this year. The aging Jungang and Guseong libraries will be remodeled into open complex knowledge and cultural spaces.

Mayor Lee said, "We will continue to invest so that libraries play a central role in regional education and cultural development and become spaces where citizens can simultaneously enjoy leisure, knowledge, information, and community."

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