Opening of Jamsil Neighborhood Park's 8th 365-Day Unmanned Bookstore 'Songpa Smart Library'

70,000 Visitors at 7 Locations Last Year... Over 500 Diverse Books, Popular for Convenient Location
New Sites Selected Considering Transportation and Foot Traffic... Reading Shelters Harmonizing with Parks Also Provided

Songpa-gu (Mayor Seo Gang-seok) announced that it will expand the ‘Smart Library’ currently operating in seven locations within the district to promote a reading culture, and will open the 8th branch in Jamsilbon-dong on September 3.

The Smart Library is an unmanned book lending and return station that reduces size and increases accessibility so that residents who find it difficult to visit libraries can access books anytime and anywhere. Although the collection size is about 500 books, it is loved by residents due to systematic management, such as having dedicated librarians regularly replace various new releases and bestsellers, and providing a ‘Chaeksori Service’ that allows borrowing books from other libraries.

In fact, last year, a total of 70,000 users visited the seven locations. The stations with the highest number of visitors were Jamsilnaru Station, Jamsil 2-dong Community Center, and Bangi Station, with 28,000 visitors.

In addition, the Smart Libraries are located in areas with high foot traffic such as Machon Station, Geoyeo Station, Jangji Station, and the Songpa Book Museum, providing a convenient reading environment.

The ‘Songpa Smart Library No. 8 (230 Jamsil-dong)’, scheduled to open on September 3, has been newly established in Jamsil Neighborhood Park. The district selected this location expecting high demand for books due to nearby elementary schools and convenient public transportation. One side of the booth has been designed as a ‘Reading Rest Area’ that blends with the park, allowing visitors to sit on benches, read books, and relax.

The Smart Library operates 365 days a year from 5 a.m. to midnight. For safety, only library members or those with returned books can enter after 8 p.m. Any member of the Songpa-gu public library can borrow up to three books per person for a maximum of 14 days, and returns must be made at the Smart Library where the books were borrowed.

For detailed information on locations, usage methods, and other details, please visit the Songpa-gu Integrated Library website.

Seo Gang-seok, Mayor of Songpa-gu, said, “The number of residents using the Smart Library near their homes is increasing every year. This is proof that a reading culture is taking root in the community.” He added, “We hope more residents experience the joy of reading in their daily lives, and we will continue to create an environment that fosters a high-quality reading culture.”

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