A Closed School Was Transformed Into a Library

[Financial News] The Gangseo Library Gayang Branch of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education was created using the site of the former Gongjin Elementary School in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, which was closed. It is a library under the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education that has been newly established after 30 years.
According to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education on the 29th, the Gangseo Library Gayang Branch, which opens on the 31st, is the first case in the Seoul area of creating an open complex cultural space using a closed school. It has been designed to allow book reading as well as ecological cultural experiences, creative activities, and media production.
Gayang Branch is a total of 3,197㎡, with 4 floors above ground, equipped with about 16,000 books, and has set forth the vision of a 'Future Library that Imagines, Thinks, and Grows Together'. The library's resource space is operated under the name 'Book Garden', and various reading and cultural spaces tailored to different themes are provided on each floor.
The 1st and 2nd floors consist of △ 'Imagination Book Garden' centered on literature △ 'Sprout Book Garden', a children's book space △ 'Thinking Book Garden' with non-fiction humanities books, and also include spaces for family reading and ecological experiences. The design with a multi-story staircase structure adds a sense of openness and convenience of movement.
The 3rd floor features the 'Growth Book Garden' centered on youth and science, 'Creation Room' for creative activities, 'Noise Shelter' for quiet immersion, and 'Gallery' for exhibitions. The 4th floor includes 'Media Lab' for VR experiences and video production, and a small theater for small performances and cultural events.
The rooftop is decorated as an ecological rest area and garden, serving as a space for relaxation close to nature, playing another role as a cultural space for healing in the city.
In particular, Gayang Branch operates services that differentiate it from other libraries. Representative examples include 'Squirrel Bookstore', where popular children's books can only be read within the library, and 'Customized Book Bundle Loan Service' for dual-income families. Additionally, various reading spaces are provided according to user types, such as individual, family, open, and focused types.
Lee Mi-jeong, Director of Gangseo Library, said, "Through Gangseo Library Gayang Branch, we will firmly establish the lacking reading foundation in the region and support the growth of students and citizens opening the future, and we hope it will be loved as a new future cultural space connecting books, nature, and people."
Meanwhile, on the opening day, the 31st, an opening ceremony will be held. The event will be attended by Jeong Geun-sik, Superintendent of Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, the Mayor of Gangseo-gu, members of the National Assembly, local residents, students, and parents. It is also prepared as a place to declare the vision together and pledge to do our best in the role as a reading landmark that coexists with the region in the future.
Additionally, on the day of the opening ceremony, various events such as a library treasure hunt for local residents and issuance of limited edition opening commemorative membership cards will be held.

monarch@fnnews.com Kim Man-gi Reporter