'Daegu Library' Opens on Former U.S. Helipad Site... Four Floors, 15,000 Square Meters of Space

Daegu's Leading Metropolitan Library
Spotlight on the 'Daegu Studies Room'

The 'Daegu Library,' constructed by the city of Daegu on the site of the former Camp Walker helipad in Daemyeong-dong, Nam-gu, will officially open on November 5 after a ten-day trial operation.

The establishment of Daegu Library has long been a cherished project for local residents who endured inconveniences due to the U.S. military base. It is also a symbolic initiative that reconnects previously divided urban spaces and transforms them into a complex cultural venue.

Daegu Library

The opening ceremony will take place at 2 p.m. on November 5, attended by Acting Mayor Kim Jeonggi of Daegu, members of the National Assembly, district mayors, library officials, and approximately 300 local residents. In conjunction with the ceremony, there will be a special exhibition titled '100 Years of Daegu Records,' offering an overview of the library's history, as well as a guest lecture by author Jeong Yujeong, known for 'The Origin of Species' and 'Eternal Heaven.'

Daegu Library has a total floor area of 15,075 square meters, spanning one basement level and four above-ground floors. It features six reading rooms, including a children's room, a general reading room, a Daegu studies room, a digital resources room, a humanities and arts room, and a youth zone called 'Teengu.' The library also houses a joint preservation archive and an outdoor garden named 'Chaektturak.'

The first-floor children's room is themed as 'A Space to Grow with Books,' equipped with low bookshelves, specialized areas for play, blocks, and illustrations, as well as AR (augmented reality) experience content. It also offers award-winning children's books, pop-up books, cloth books, and big books for immersive reading experiences.

The second-floor general reading room provides a wide range of books across various subjects, serving as a comfortable reading space for all generations. It is equipped with face-to-face reading programs for the visually impaired and various reading aids, ensuring accessibility for those with reading difficulties.

The Daegu studies room is dedicated to the systematic collection and preservation of materials related to Daegu, making them accessible to everyone. The 'Daegu Love Library,' established with the 'Hometown Love Fund,' showcases books by local authors and publishers. The digital resources room is equipped with a computer zone, laptop zone, and video viewing zone, providing citizens with convenient access to digital information in a modern setting.

The third-floor humanities and arts room offers books in the fields of humanities, arts, and travel, as well as art books, LPs, and maps. Themed corners such as 'Art Library,' 'Traveler's Library,' and 'Room for Reflection' have been created to support emotional reading and cultural experiences.

The youth zone 'Teengu' is organized into five themes-'Create,' 'Listen,' 'Watch,' 'Play,' and 'Write'-and serves as a dedicated complex cultural space for teenagers, where they can enjoy activities such as creative projects, music, video production, board games, and transcription.

Additionally, the underground joint preservation archive can store up to 1.02 million books, providing a foundation for systematically preserving and researching major books of academic and historical value from the region.

Daegu Library also offers unique services such as the '24-hour Book Drive-Thru,' which allows users to pick up books by car, and the nation's first 'Chaekduru Service.' The Chaekduru Service enables users to borrow books from other libraries when the desired material is not available at their local library, through cooperation and networking among public libraries across metropolitan areas.

Going forward, Daegu Library aims to serve as the leading regional library, overseeing 54 public libraries and 263 small libraries, including municipal, district, and private libraries. It will play a central role in strengthening interlibrary cooperation, expanding services, and acting as the control tower for local library policies.

Kim Jeonggi, Acting Mayor and Deputy Mayor for Administrative Affairs of Daegu, stated, "With the opening of Daegu Library, an area long isolated and marginalized by the U.S. military base has been reborn as a center for knowledge and culture for citizens. I hope that Daegu Library, born from the aspirations of our citizens, will grow into a space of hope that connects generations and shares knowledge, cherished by all."

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