Seven more 'Happy Dream Libraries' for children in rural and fishing communities; 32 established over three years

[Financial News] Small libraries have opened at seven local children's centers in rural and fishing communities. The donated-book lists also included books that children had chosen themselves because they wanted to read them. Each center also ran a program in which participants brought together writing and illustrations to create picture books.
According to Kyobo Book Centre on the 10th, this year's 'Happy Dream Libraries' are being established in Gimpo City, Gyeonggi Province; Jinan County and Jeongeup-si, North Jeolla Province; Hampyeong County, Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City; Gumi City and Pohang City, Gyeongsangbuk-do; and Miryang City, South Gyeongsang Province. Kyobo Book Centre, SK Innovation Co., Ltd., Save the Children, and the Community Chest of Korea are jointly carrying out the project.
The project creates reading spaces and provides books inside local children's centers for children in rural and fishing communities who have difficulty accessing books because bookstores and libraries are far away. Following 15 locations in 2024 and 10 last year, a total of 32 locations had libraries by this year.
A survey by Save the Children of 312 children attending 15 local children's centers in the project's first year found that 65.7% agreed that reading was important. Children who did not often use the libraries said there were no books they wanted to read or that they had already read many of the books.
Save the Children oversees the project. It is funded by the '1% Happiness Sharing Fund,' created by employees and executives of SK Innovation affiliates pooling 1% of their base salaries. According to SK Innovation Co., Ltd., some 33,000 books have been donated through the project over three years, and some 2,000 children have received support.
The opening ceremony was held on the 8th at Goa Local Children's Center in Gumi, Gyeongsangbuk-do. Jaeseung Jeong, a professor in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), gave a lecture that day on how advances in robotics and brain science technology will affect daily life, as well as the joy of reading.
At the library in Gumi, an arched reading space was set up between bookshelves along the wall. Low tables were also placed there so several people could sit around them and open books. The arrangement of the shelves and seating varied to suit the existing layout of each center.
Through its 'Children's Book Dream Project,' Kyobo Book Centre collected books to fill the shelves through its online store and a dedicated display at its Gwanghwamun store in Seoul. Kyobo Book Centre and SK Innovation Co., Ltd. contributed as many books as readers donated.
The donation lists included books recommended by Professor Jeong and a Kyobo Book Centre staff member responsible for books, as well as books chosen by children at the centers. Kyobo Book Centre counted 1,058 books donated through this year's campaign, a 24.6% increase from last year.
This year, 98 children from seven centers took part in the reading program. The children wrote and drew pictures, then brought their work together to complete one picture book for each center, seven in all.
In August, Save the Children released survey results showing that the rate at which children participating in the project practiced reading had risen by 87% and library use at local children's centers had increased by 60%. Preference for books rose by 160%.
A Kyobo Book Centre representative said, "We will continue working with our readers to create an environment where more children in rural and fishing communities can get closer to books."

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