Goyang Special City is innovating its library environment and services for 2025. Baekseok Library will be reborn as an English-only library, and Daehwa Library and Aram Nuri Library will be remodeled into comfortable cultural spaces. In addition, various reading culture projects in conjunction with schools, hospitals, and day care centers for the disabled will be expanded.
 [Korean Today] Goyang City Library, major renovation in 2025… Strengthening the interior and renovating the exterior © Reporter Seung-ju Ji |
Goyang Special City (Mayor Lee Dong-hwan) Library Center announced that it will pursue large-scale remodeling and expansion of regional reading culture programs to focus on improving the library environment and service quality ahead of 2025.
Mayor Lee Dong-hwan of Goyang City said, “Through the reopening of Baekseok English Library and Daehwa/Aram Nuri Library, Goyang City is expected to take a further leap forward as an educational and cultural city,” and added, “I will do my best to ensure that libraries can become cultural centers that enrich the lives of citizens.”
Expansion of reading culture projects in conjunction with schools, hospitals, and day care centers for the disabled
In 2024, Goyang City, in cooperation with the Goyang Office of Education, promoted the *’Local Reading Ecosystem Support Project’*. 19 municipal libraries and 56 schools participated in operating reading activity programs, and students’ works were showcased at the *’2024 Goyang Reading Contest’*.
In addition, through the ‘Meet the Author at School’ program, students from Seongjeong Elementary School, Songpo Elementary School, Jangseong Middle School, Baekyang Middle School, and Wondang Middle School experienced the joy of reading by directly communicating with famous authors.
The hospital-linked program also received attention. In cooperation with the National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital, the *’Dorandoran Picture Book Day’ and the *’Picture Book Concert’* for child patients and their guardians were held and received a great response.
In addition, as part of the Gyeonggi Province information-vulnerable group reading activity support project, reading programs were provided to approximately 300 disabled users in cooperation with the Wondang Disabled Persons Weekly Protection Center and Goyang City Disabled Persons Weekly Protection Center.
Baekseok·Daehwa·Aramnuri Library Remodeling… Creating a Comfortable and Safe Space
Baekseok Library will be renovated into an English-only library with a total project cost of 9.5 billion won (including 6.3 billion won in national and provincial funds). With a total floor area of 4,030.5 m2, it will be remodeled to create a global reading environment through eco-friendly green remodeling. Construction will be completed in March 2026, and various specialized programs will be operated as an English-only library.
The Dialogue Library will spend 3.4 billion won (including 2.7 billion won in national and provincial funds) to remodel the exterior walls of the aging basement level 1, 4 floors above ground, and 3,901㎡ in total area. The construction is scheduled to be completed in January 2026, and it will be reborn as a more modern and safe space.
Aram Nuri Library is investing a total of 300 million won (including 100 million won from the provincial government) to integrate the reading rooms and repair the aging buildings. It aims to close for about two months starting in March 2025 and reopen in May.
Strengthening customized library services for citizens
Goyang City is making various efforts to improve library facilities as well as to increase citizens’ accessibility to the library and to eliminate the information gap. In particular, it plans to develop the library into a cultural hub for the local community rather than a simple repository of materials by diversifying library programs, providing customized reading education, and expanding community spaces.
An official from Goyang Special City said, “Through this library remodeling and expansion of related projects, the library will become a cultural space open to all citizens,” and “We will do our best to ensure that more citizens can conveniently use the library and enjoy reading culture.”
Goyang City plans to focus on improving the quality of cultural life of citizens through the 2025 library remodeling project and various regional reading culture programs.
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