Preparing for Extreme Weather: Transforming Libraries into ‘Open Cultural Spaces’
A scene from a nighttime library program [Provided by Seoul City. Reproduction and DB prohibited]
(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Ki-hun: The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 19th that 122 public libraries in the city will operate until 10 PM this year.
The library hours extension project aims to extend the closing time from 6 PM to 10 PM, thus offering more reading opportunities for office workers and students and reducing individual household energy usage.
This year, the number of participating libraries increased by 8, compared to 114 last year.
The city plans to actively utilize libraries as ‘safe havens’ and ‘open cultural spaces’ amid the increasingly frequent heatwaves and cold spells caused by recent climate abnormalities.
The campaign titled ‘Libraries are HOT & COOL’ will host various reading culture programs and provide librarian-recommended books to citizens.
The library hours extension project supports 50% of the labor costs required for nighttime operations.
A total of 10.6 billion won has been invested, and the workforce for smooth nighttime operations has increased from 346 last year to 378.
Ma Chae-sook, head of Seoul’s Cultural Headquarters, stated, “We will continue to expand library services so that citizens can read books more comfortably and enjoy various cultural programs in their daily lives.”
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