• Journal of the Korean BIBLIA Society for library and Information Science
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.77-100
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• 2014

This study aims to investigate the perception of public library users, who are local residences, on the multi-cultural services in public libraries using a series of statistical analyses on a questionnaire survey. The objectives of multi-cultural policies by Korean government are to foster assimilation of the multi-cultural people, social unification of Korean (local) communities, and cultural diversity in the communities. The results from the analyses show that the multi-cultural services in public libraries are understood from the unification and assimilation point of views, and that the perception of the multi-cultural services in public libraries is affected by the libraries' marketing activities, such as advertisements and participation. For the sustainable provision of the services, we suggest that the libraries would better consider 1) multi-oriented services with cultural diversity, assimilation, and social unification, 2) relationship with other multi-cultural agencies in a community, and 3) the perception of local residences on the services in public libraries.

• Journal of Korean Library and Information Science Society
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.295-321
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• 2013

This study examines current practices of the multicultural services in public library and offers directions for improvement in the multicultural society. For this, this study is set up the list of the multicultural services on the basis of the plans and the announcements about multicultural services of an international organization. Moreover, researchers analysed the multicultural services of Incheon Jungang Library. The results of this study are as follows. They proposed the improvement of the multicultural services of a public library as the changes of cognition of the multicultural services, training for professional manpower, program for intercultural understanding, accessibility to information, etc.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Library and Information Science
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.247-263
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• 2017

This study attempts to suggest effective strategies for public library services for multicultural polpulation in Busan metro area. Emphasis was put on the perceived problems and strategies of librarians who are in charge of multicultural services in three public libraries in Busan. Specifically, this study surveys major issues, problems, and solutions related to serving multicultural population in public libraries. For this, the study collected data from qualitative interviews with informants and analyzed contents. It is expected that the results of the study will provide multicultural agencies with primary data to restructure the service programs for immigrants in Korean public libraries.

• Journal of the Korean BIBLIA Society for library and Information Science
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.47-64
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• 2009

The world has rapidly become culturally diverse, and Korea has gradually grown into a multicultural society, mainly due to marriage immigrants and foreign laborers, whose number exceeds over one million nationally. Their adjustment and acculturation in Korea, however, dose'nt seem painless and untroubled, and public libraries are in duty to provide multicultural service for these population. Providing useful services on the homepage makes it possible for users to find the information they need without having to visit the actual library. A more detailed research will be conducted by examining the multicultural services provided by the public libraries in Australia, Canada, the United States, and Japan, the leading multicultural societies. The further examination will be conducted on these libraries in terms of four aspects, that is, information, literacy, education, and culture, as declared by Public Library Menifesto. In Korea, translation and interpretation services, homework help, child literacy are necessary services at the public library, Management of independent multicultural site, shared services between Regional Central Library and Community Public Library, cooperation with libraries, government and organization will be helpful to multicultural library services.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Library and Information Science
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.311-332
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to establish core elements required for the implementation of multicultural library services, to analyze the features of each element, and to develop a model of effective multicultural library services. This model was aimed to improve multicultural services and programs currently managed on a short-term basis by public libraries in Korea and help those libraries develop more systematic and long-term multicultural services. To proceed with this study, the literature review, a case study and a survey(the exploratory factor analysis, T-test and ANOVA analysis) were conducted. In this study, it is found that more effective operation of multicultural services in public libraries requires cooperation and integration with not only other libraries and related social and educational institutions in a community, but also international network. Based on this idea, the model of operating multicultural services in public libraries in Korea was proposed in this study.

• Journal of the Korean BIBLIA Society for library and Information Science
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.45-66
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• 2017

To resolve the problem that multicultural people in Korea suffer from difficulties especially with prejudice and discrimination, it is necessary to raise the cultural diversity in communities in Korea through cultivating multicultural awareness among non-multicultural people. In this vein, public libraries, as cultural exchange institutes, can affect multicultural awareness of the people. This study investigated how characteristics of public libraries and their local communities are related to the users' multicultural awareness. The study found that multicultural awareness of library users was significantly influenced by the characteristics of public libraries but not by the characteristics of communities. It is suggested that public libraries should consider cultural diversity on overall library services for their general users to support their multicultural awareness.

• Journal of the Korean BIBLIA Society for library and Information Science
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.125-145
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• 2014

As Korea becomes a multi-cultural society, Korean government ministries are enforcing various multi-cultural services. Especially, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, which is in charge of public libraries, is operating multi-cultural services for cultural diversity. The trends in the research on the multi-cultural services in public libraries, however, are rather on adaptation of the multi-cultural people in Korea than on the cultural diversity. In this exploratory study, we investigated the perception of local residences on multi-cultural library services with several in-depth interviews with the local residences not only for the adaptation but also for the cultural diversity. The results shows that they tended to regard public libraries as an institution of local life-long education, and then they think public libraries can take a role for coping with social adaptation and prevention of social problems in terms of multi-cultural population. Based on the results, public libraries would better consider to inform their roles in this multi-cultural society to their local residences based not only on adaptation but also on cultural diversity. For this, the libraries would develop programs, in which both multi-cultural and non-multi-cultural people can be participated, to encourage communication between them.

• Journal of Korean Library and Information Science Society
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.269-297
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• 2011

The purpose of this study is to investigate the current nationwide status of the multicultural and multilingual library services in Korea. To do this, a survey aimed at the public libraries, the non-governmental organizations and the governmental bodies that provided library services with multicultural and multilingual materials was conducted. Also, 15 librarians and the persons in charge were interviewed. As a result of this study, some recommendations not only regarding national library policies but also regarding public libraries providing multicultural library services to local users were suggested.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Library and Information Science
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.103-124
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• 2011

The 21st century society is becoming globalized rapidly due to mass immigration and South Korea has become a multicultural nation since 2007 with over one million foreigners living here. Due to these social environmental changes, there was a need to provide multicultural programs and services in public libraries. In order to develop multicultural library services, we need to look into what librarians and users of public libraries know of the existing services. We assumed that comparing the two groups, librarians and users, and establishing a fit model would be the most effective way to provide information. According to the survey, there were differences in understanding between the two groups. By providing services that help fill in the gap, public libraries could be closer to multicultural families, and help them become integrated into Korean society. We have presented a multicultural service model based on the results of the survey.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Library and Information Science
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.135-160
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• 2009

The study aims at understanding current states and problems for multi-cultural families in libraries. The study examined multicultural services in Korean libraries as well as overseas. The study analyzed library services and education problems of multicultural families based on multicultural model, assimilationist model, and differential exclusionary model. The study surveyed multi-cultural services librarians and educators as well as immigrants and children who have participated in multicultural problems, and finally analyzed problems and requirements of programs for multicultural families.