At the end of the hot summer, the reading season has arrived. Goyang Special City (Mayor Lee Dong-hwan) Library is holding a variety of reading culture programs to celebrate Reading Month.
According to the 2023 National Reading Survey, the average number of books read by adults is 3.9, which is decreasing every year, but the number of books read by Goyang citizens is 6.1 (2022 Goyang Citizen Reading Survey), which is higher than the national average.
In order to promote reading as a part of daily life this fall, the city has prepared various reading programs that anyone can participate in at city libraries and small libraries in conjunction with the ‘2024 Goyang Reading Festival’.
Goyang Special City Mayor Lee Dong-hwan said, “In the fall, the season of reading, Goyang City Library has prepared various reading culture programs so that citizens can enrich their minds. I hope this will be an opportunity for citizens to take an interest in reading books and enjoy more cultural opportunities.”
19 libraries, endless reading culture programs including lectures, book talks, and challenges
The city is operating 15 reading culture programs and challenges at 19 libraries to celebrate September Reading Month. This event will provide richer programs and content in conjunction with the ‘2024 Goyang Reading Competition’ held in October.
The Nobbit Library is running a reading education activity called ‘Reading: Read Aloud’ every Thursday for beginners of reading, and Deok-i, Shinwon, and Pungdong libraries are running a ‘Reading Completely with Voice Actors’ program until October. Some of the participants can participate in the reading play of the ‘2024 Goyang Reading Competition’. The Siksa Library is holding a ‘Picture Book Reading Method that Captivates My Child’ for parents, and the Hwajeong Library is holding a reading performance of a psychological trilogy that reconstructs author Choi Jeong-hwa’s short stories into a one-person play.
Aram Nuri Library will host a reading discussion on the 13th and 20th, and Dialogue Library will hold a ‘Senior SNS Book Review Writing’ event for adults aged 50 and older every Friday until mid-October.
There are also various programs for children. Ilsan Library holds a multicultural reading program called ‘Traveling the World without a Passport’ for elementary school students in grades 1 and 2, and Gajwa Library holds a Havruta program twice a week for elementary school students in grades 3 and 4, where they pair up and discuss reading. Aram Nuri Library also plans to hold a book concert on the 13th, hosted by youth novelist Jeon Ann, for elementary school students in grades 5 and 6.
Challenges linked to the reading competition are also anticipated. In the city library and small library, the ‘Books I’ve Seen Again’ challenge is ongoing, where people share books they’ve read more than twice, and in the children’s library, the ‘Challenge! Book Mission Bingo!’ challenge is ongoing, where people complete bingo.
At Goyang City Library Center SNS, you can participate in the ‘Book Check Challenge’ for youth, which involves making short-form book recommendation videos, and the ‘Book Space Tour’ and ‘My Own Book Space’ challenges, which involve sharing book spaces.
Financial and human resources support for 8 small libraries… Spreading reading culture with the local community
Eight small libraries located throughout the neighborhood are running the ‘Small Library, Value of Working Together’ program, each with its own unique characteristics.
Small libraries often have difficulty expanding their reading culture programs due to financial and operational limitations. Reflecting the characteristics of local communities and the needs of users, the city accepted applications for a cooperative support project targeting public and private small libraries early this year and selected a total of eight locations.
The selected small libraries held preliminary meetings to concretize their program plans and received support from instructors and operating materials, and began the program sequentially from August.
A total of 8 programs will be held until November, including ▲Metaverse Adventure (DMC Dietre Hangang Small Library), ▲Watercolor Classroom with Poetry (Goyang Samsong Shinwon 4 Complex Small Library), ▲Senior Recycled Paper Craft Classroom that Incorporates the Environment (Gawon Senior Library), ▲Picture Book Picnic (Daedeok Small Library), ▲Reading a Book in the Forest (Yedaum Small Library), ▲Meeting Book Characters with a Crochet Hook (Ilsan Y City Small Library), ▲Silver Cognitive Activity Book Play (Fun Zelkova Family Library), ▲Folk Painting, My Drawing Wish (Haneulbeot Small Library).
‘2024 Goyang Reading Competition’ Small Library Collaboration Poetry Program Operation
The ‘2024 Goyang Reading Festival’ will be held on October 25th and 26th at Aram Nuri Library, Hwajeong Library, and Ilsan Lake Park (Hanul Plaza). Following last year’s ‘2023 Korea Reading Festival’, the slogan “Be, Read, Connect” will be used to run reading programs throughout the year in cooperation with various organizations such as local bookstores and artists.
In particular, 19 small libraries belonging to the Goyang City Small Library Association will run the city’s transcription program, ‘Rest, Into Poetry: Let’s Transcribe Poetry Together!’ from September to October.
Each library will select a poetry collection or anthology that fits its theme, transcribe and post passages, and the transcribed copies will be exhibited at the main event of the 2024 Goyang Reading Competition.
The 2024 Goyang Reading Contest main event will operate a ‘Prescribe Poetry’ experience booth where participants can prepare poems suitable for them and choose a prescription poem. In addition, the plan is to expand the reading base by holding various events that the whole family can enjoy, such as the ‘Malo’s Workshop’ performance by the puppet theater troupe Ato and an experience activity to make wooden worry dolls.
More detailed information on the Goyang City Reading Culture Program can be found on the Goyang City Library Center website (
Economy Queen Reporter Kim Hong-mi / Photo Goyang City
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2024-09-11 05:03:35