Seoul education office to open an 'outdoor library' with tents and beanbags in a downtown park

[Financial News] An outdoor pop-up library equipped with tents and beanbags will be set up at Guro Street Park in Seoul for two days starting on September 5. Operated by the Guro Library of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, the 'Family Forest Library' will let visitors read while lying in tents and beanbags, or borrow a 'book picnic kit' containing books, board games and a plogging set to enjoy in the park.
SMOE said on August 31 that it will run reading and culture programs for all generations throughout September at 23 libraries and lifelong learning centers under its jurisdiction. The Guro Street Park event is open to anyone on site, while the other programs, including indoor lectures, will accept applications on a first-come, first-served basis from 9 a.m. on September 1 through the lifelong learning portal Seoul Learn.
This year's slogan for September Reading Month is 'Just Because I Like It,' selected by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea. It reflects the idea that reading books and sharing good sentences are things people do without any grand reason.
There will also be a wide range of family-oriented programs. Dobong Library will hold 'Library Day for the Whole Family' on the 5th for preschoolers aged 6 to 8 and their families, where participants will read picture books and make soap. Dongdaemun Library will run 'A Trip Around the World with Family' on the 19th, an experiential multicultural program that helps participants understand different cultures by making and tasting traditional foods from around the world. Jeongdok Public Library will host 'Reading with Family,' a reading-discussion coaching program, on the third Saturday of every month from the 19th through November.
Programs for children are also on offer. Songpa Library will hold a 'One-Day Creative Art Class' for lower-grade elementary school students on the 20th, while the Children's Public Library will invite author Ryu Mi-jeong on the 19th for a session to discuss picture books and make lucky cards.
Lectures for teenagers and adults are also notable. Gocheok Library will hold an author lecture on the 16th, 'Why Do We Still Encounter the Odyssey?' in which participants will read Homer’s 'Odyssey' together. Dongjak Public Library has prepared a lecture on the 19th, 'An Education Roadmap for Our Children in the AI Era,' which offers an educational roadmap tailored to a child's characteristics.
Superintendent Geun-sik Chung said, "I hope September will be a month when people open a book simply because they like it, without any special reason." He added, "The libraries and lifelong learning centers of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education will create a reading month in which all generations, from children to adults, can grow closer to books, and we will continue to prepare a variety of programs so that this reading culture does not end in September but continues throughout the year."
Applications for the reading and culture programs, along with detailed information, can be found on the Seoul Learn website of the SMOE lifelong learning portal. 

[email protected] Kim Man-ki Reporter