Goyang City Enhances Small Library Operation Efficiency... Resource Redistribution

Resolving Duplicate Investments in the Same Area... Strategic Resource Allocation
Public Small Libraries Focused on Information-Disadvantaged Areas
Baekseok Library Established as the Largest English Library in Korea
"Providing Cultural Benefits to Information-Disadvantaged Areas through Efficient Resource Distribution"

Goyang City Hall exterior.

Goyang Special City, Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Lee Dong-hwan) announced on the 23rd that it plans to reduce subsidy support for some public small libraries and adjust their operation methods to improve the efficiency and quality of public small library operations within the region.

The plan aims to distribute operational resources more strategically to resolve budget and service overlaps with municipal libraries.

Due to the expansion of new library infrastructure such as 20 municipal libraries, 10 smart libraries, and an e-book library, cases of overlapping roles and budgets with public small libraries have occurred in Goyang City.

Accordingly, some small libraries have ceased operational support and are undergoing infrastructure readjustment. The city plans to operate six public small libraries, including areas not covered by municipal library services, and expand support for about 80 private small libraries.

Based on the recently announced "3rd Goyang City Mid- to Long-Term Development Plan (2024-2028) Establishment Research Report," the city will actively promote policies to enhance the efficiency of public small library operations.

In particular, public small libraries operated by private consignment that provide overlapping services with municipal libraries in the same area will be closed. Gangchon Park Small Library is located within 1.1 km of Aram Nuri Library and 1.5 km of Madu Library, and Modang Park Small Library is within 1.2 km of Madu Library, 1.5 km of Pungdong Library, and 1.6 km of Ilsan Library, indicating a high degree of operational overlap.

Additionally, the operation of Hosu Park Small Library, which overlaps with the city's reading environment project 'Hosu Park Book Cafe Creation Project,' will be terminated, and Gangchon Park Small Library will be converted into a book resting area to create a reading environment within the park.

This reduction in subsidies and adjustment of operation methods for public small libraries is a measure to improve the quality of library services by readjusting library functions to provide better services to residents. Public small libraries will be operated mainly in information-deprived areas where municipal libraries are not adjacent, and the Booknuri (interlibrary loan) service will be expanded to enable residents to use book services more easily, thereby achieving a balance in knowledge culture.

Goyang Special City also plans to expand support policies to revitalize private small libraries. Currently, there are 84 private small libraries in Goyang City. The city supports private small libraries not only with subsidies but also by dispatching instructors for reading culture programs, operating itinerant librarians, and providing heating and cooling cost support. Every year, operating expenses are supported for about 30 private small libraries, and despite the relatively small budget?about 10% of that for public small libraries?30% of Goyang's private small libraries evaluated by Gyeonggi Province this year achieved an A grade.

The city is also introducing cooperative programs among small libraries to promote the spread of reading culture and activate local communities. Going forward, support will be expanded to ensure that private small libraries can continue to serve as central institutions in local communities.

The city is promoting the construction of Wonheung Library and the reconstruction of Wondang Library to expand library infrastructure. Additionally, Baekseok Library is undergoing remodeling to be reborn as the largest English library in the country. Through these projects, the city plans to accelerate the expansion and maintenance of municipal library infrastructure to provide citizens with a better reading environment and cultural benefits.

A city official stated, "The reduction of public small libraries through small library policies is not intended to cause inconvenience to residents but to readjust library functions for efficient resource allocation and to provide cultural benefits evenly to residents in information-deprived areas."

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