2023-05-21 21:00:00
“How regarding improving the cultural center library into a space where children can play and show Korean animations like a kids cafe? Children will visit the cultural center with their parents. From a distance, it is securing future customers, and from a closer perspective, it is inducing visits through the library.”
“Customers of the Cultural Center do not read books in Korean at all. That’s why I leave only one or two books and put them elsewhere or consider discarding them.” (〃 Mr. B)
There are many voices calling for the improvement of the environment and operation of the library (resource room), which is the main window for providing information related to the so-called ‘Korean Wave’ to locals who are interested in Korean society and culture at Korean cultural centers abroad. This is because the library usage rate of locals visiting overseas cultural centers is remarkably low compared to other facilities.
As a result of an online survey of 102 employees of overseas cultural centers around the world last year, the most frequently used facility at overseas cultural centers was the classroom, which scored 4.24 on a 5-point scale. In this survey, the use rate for each facility with more than 60 respondents was followed by classrooms, followed by Korean food experience spaces (4.0 points), exhibition spaces (3.98 points), and performance halls (3.88 points). The library scored the lowest at 3.32 points. This has nothing to do with the structure that makes it difficult to use the library comfortably, such as the fact that many of the books are in Korean rather than English or the local language, and that it is difficult to find dedicated management personnel such as librarians. According to respondents (18 people) who are in charge of general affairs at Korean cultural centers abroad, the average proportion of local residents among library users at cultural centers was 71.6%. On the other hand, looking at the language ratio of the books held by the library, the Korean language accounted for 73.2%, while the local language and English only accounted for 13.6% and 13.2%, respectively. Unless you are a Korean learner or a person who knows the Korean language well, there is little reason to visit the local Korean Cultural Center library or reference room.
In fact, as a result of a survey of 200 foreigners residing in Korea by the Korea Culture and Tourism Research Institute in October of last year, only 47.2% of those who had visited the Korean Cultural Center in their home country (36%) had visited the library at least once, and had visited the library three or more times. was only 6.9%.
Woman C, who was born in Turkey and stayed in Korea for four years, said, “I used the library of the Korean Cultural Center (Turkey) to learn Korean and study Korea.” I don’t think so,” he said.
For this reason, there are voices that the library should be transformed into an open and multi-purpose complex cultural space while meeting the needs of the local people, even if the local circumstances and the circumstances of the Korean Cultural Center are different. Kim Kyu-chan, a researcher at the Korea Culture and Tourism Research Institute, said, “Libraries at overseas cultural centers need to be reborn as more friendly spaces for locals and increase accessibility.” It is necessary to operate as an open space by expanding rest and convenience facilities such as cafes.”
Lee Kang-eun Senior Reporter
[ⓒ 세계일보 & Segye.com, 무단전재 및 재배포 금지]
1684707756
#Cultural #center #library #users.. #locals #Korean #books #심층기획재외 #한국문화원 #컬처 #딜레마