• Journal of Korean Library and Information Science Society
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.1-22
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• 2018

The general or separate reading room in domestic public libraries is a space that represents Korea's unique characteristics that are rarely found in advanced cultural countries. If it is an indispensable space for residents of the community, all public libraries should install and operate it. Otherwise, the general reading room of existing public libraries should be reduced or improved and the new library needs strategic thinking about its installation. Therefore, this study analysed the operation status and major issues of the general reading room, and then suggested the direction based on the survey and comparison of the recognition of the general reading room for the staff (librarian) and the users. The results can contribute not only to the ongoing debate on the general reading room, which is the central theme of discussion of local public goods, but also to find desirable alternatives.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Library and Information Science
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.57-77
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• 2021

The identity of public libraries in Japan is a social education institution under the 「Social Education Act」 and the 「Library Act」. For these identities, the local government's board of education has operated and managed public libraries, and some have managed by the Management Outsourcing System to public organizations. Then, in 2003, the 「Local Autonomy Act」 was revised to introduce the Designated Manager System in form of administrative disposition, and expanded the scope of application to private institutions and organizations. As of the end of 2018, 18.0% of public libraries introduced the DMS, but the pros and cons surrounding it are sharply opposed. This study outlined the overall status of the DMS and the introduction of public libraries, and critically reviewed major issues. As a result, As a result, there was much controversy over the expected cost reduction, service improvement, employee professionalism, business continuity, and cooperation network establishment when DMS was introduced. The reasons were due to downsizing-based personnel management, contract-oriented employment, short periods of designation, lack of multiple competitive markets, and declining service capabilities of irregular workers. The public library is a knowledge and cultural infrastructure that enhances human values and social dignity based on faithful collection and active service, and is a local public goods that emphasizes non-exclusion and non-competitiveness. Given the increasing number of cases in which public libraries are recently contracting out to cultural foundations in Korea, DMS is not a fire across the river. We need to be wary of the possibility that Japan's unbearable institutional lightness will be applied to public libraries in Korea.

• Journal of Korean Library and Information Science Society
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.215-239
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• 2022

All public libraries are local public goods and cultural infrastructures whose ideological pillars are publicly operated, free, and open to all. This identity is justified when the public library provides various knowledge information, various programs, and community space to local residents within the service area, and ultimately contributes to the cultural development of the nation and society. To this end, the country and local governments must expand the number of individuals that meet legal standards, deploy competent professionals, and provide facilities and spaces that are easy to access and use. However, if there is a gap in infrastructure and services between regional public libraries, it causes inequality in access and use of residents, which inevitably leads to information gap and cultural welfare gap. Therefore, this study was analyzed the relative gap using the location quotient, key infrastructure indicators and service indicators of public libraries of regional government in Korea and basic local government in the Chungnam region from the viewpoint that the balanced development and capacity building of public libraries must precede the establishment of a public library in Chungnam region as a life-friendly knowledge information service institution, culture enjoyment and lifelong learning space. Based on the results, a method to resolve the gap was suggested by dividing the elements of gaps in public libraries into accessibility, core infrastructure, and services, focusing on vulnerable cities and counties in the Chungnam region.

• Journal of Korean Library and Information Science Society
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.223-241
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• 2011

The purpose of this study is to propose supporting small libraries through investigating the ordinances of local governments. Based upon identifying of ordinances, there are direct and indirect supports for small libraries from local governments. Direct support is provide budget to small libraries and indirect supports are a cooperation between public library and small library, instruction for library staff, and supporting volunteers. Supporting methods for public small library are direct and indirect supports, but method for private library is indirect support.

• Journal of Korean Library and Information Science Society
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.339-360
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• 2004

The purpose of this study is to present strategies for activating cultural and educational functions provided by public libraries. For this purpose, it reviews various functions of public libraries based on community as well as theoretical studies about cultural services and programs of public library. And then, it also analyzed cultural and educational programs for communicated provides by public libraries of Korea. This analysis is based on (1) educational program (2) reading education program (3) user education program (4) a various cultural activities for communities

• Journal of the Korean Society for Library and Information Science
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.5-23
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• 2019

This study was conducted with a view to examining the determinants of the public library budget in the local governments of south korea. To the end, this study used the public library budget data and macro/micro environments data of 167 local governments in 2017. The analysis results shows that the determinants which have an effect on the public library budget are metropolitan area, the level of education, the population size of young adults in terms of the macro environment, and the number of users, books, and librarians in terms of the micro environment.

• Journal of Korean Library and Information Science Society
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.429-448
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• 2008

The number of public libraries is not good enough in Korea. The main reasons why there are not many libraries are: the lack of people's recognition of necessity and importance of public libraries, stingy investment by the central and local governments for building public libraries, and no policy on effective building of public libraries. Now, there should be a policy on building and operating small-size public libraries that the developed country adopts. Redevelopment of local areas and reconstruction of old apartment complex are the best chance of building small-size libraries in those areas. The apartment complex in which this study took place is going to be reconstructed in the near future. A small-size library can be built with a district office and a post-office as a multi-complex building. Building a small-size library with public institutions or business buildings in the place of redevelopment of local areas and reconstruction of old apartment complex is one of the best solution of solving the lack of public libraries in Korea.

• Journal of the Korean Society for information Management
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• v.22 no.1 s.55
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• pp.145-166
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• 2005

In this study, various aspects of site selection for constructing new public library by development of urban community were investigated. These are legal aspects, geographical characteristics, and criteria of selecting conditions of location for new building. In order to select the suitable site in the Jeon Ju City, the various statistical data and indices with regard to information and cultural activities of the local residents and a statistical data was investigated. And also, a user question investigation was executed. The vision and objectives of establishing new pubic libraries were presented, based on the result of the study. The result of this study will help the library policy maker to develope the library policy and to secure a budget from the regional government.

• Journal of the Korean Society for information Management
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.23-42
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• 2001

The purpose of this study was to obtain descriptive information about public library connectivity and use related to the Internet in Korea. Questionnaire was sent to all of the 364 public libraries in the nation. The data show that, as of the end of 1999,70.9% of the 351 public libraries which answered the questionnaire had some type of connection to the Internet, and 50.4% of them provided public Internet access services. The infrastructure of hardware and telecommunication, use policy for their public access Internet services were analysed. Public librarians were asked to evaluate their public Internet services. Overall the study found that the level of the nation' s public library Internet services were not satisfactory in quality and quantity. It also found that there were some significant disparities among public libraries in metropolitan areas, medium and small sized cities, and rural counties.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Library and Information Science
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.5-25
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• 2014

A public library in most countries is a knowledge and cultural institution, which is established, supported and funded by the local administrative authorities and central government. Public libraries, therefore, should ensure access to knowledge and information through various resources and services equally available to all members of the community. This role of the public library is a world-wide phenomenon and are called the universality which is applied to all countries. On the other hand, the public library's policies and operations in many countries have their own particularity, meaning exceptional cases, and this is due to the different stages of the growth and development, socio-cultural diversities. This study analyzed and discoursed whether expansion policy of the small library, supremacy of lifelong learning, steep increase in the percentage of contracting out, installation and operation of reading rooms in public libraries are examples of tolerance of particularity based on the universality or the negation of the universality packed with particularity in Korea.