• Journal of the Korean Society for Library and Information Science
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.231-248
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• 2023

The purpose of this study is to trigger a discussion on the educational gap between regions in school library resources. To this end, differences and correlations between other resources invested in the school library and output results were analyzed according to manpower allocation. There was a positive correlation between the number of books, the budget, the number of seats, the number of borrowed materials, and the number of students. It was analyzed that manpower allocation had a negative correlation with the number of subjects in which the ratio of students, the lowest grade in the achievement evaluation, was more than 1/2. As a result of examining the staffing according to the 「School Library Promotion Act」 by regional characteristics, it was found that the allocation rate was statistically significantly higher in the order of metropolitan area, and provincial unit. Depending on the regional characteristics, there were differences in net asset per household as well as differences in school library manpower assignment rates. In contrast, the large cities with relatively affluent school library manpower assignment rates were found to be higher. Therefore, based on the survey contents of this study, it was emphasized that the manpower stipulated in the 「School Library Promotion Act」 should be deployed as soon as possible even in relatively poor areas to bridge the educational gap between regions.

• Journal of the Korean BIBLIA Society for library and Information Science
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.29-47
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• 2020

This study uses Gini coefficient to index the inequality of academic information resource among universities to identify the areas where the gap is extremely severe, and analyzes the Gini coefficient over time for 10 years to show how the gap is changing. In addition, the degree and characteristics of the gap appearing by type of universities such as metropolitan universities, local national universities, private universities, and colleges were also compared. As a result, first, the university library academic information infrastructure showed a severe level of disparity (0.6 - 0.9), and the inequality was more severe in serials, electronic resources, and reference service. Even when the relative Gini coefficient was calculated considering the number of students, the inequality was over 0.4 in serial etc. Second, the Gini coefficient trend over the last decade shows that the inequality has decreased toward equality in the re-education time of employees and electronic information resources, but not in other sectors. Third, it was found that special universities and universities in the metropolitan area showed a large gap between universities of the same kind, and local national universities showed the best gap level as well as the best academic information infrastructure.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Library and Information Science
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.69-91
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• 2007

This research focuses library services for people with disabilities in public libraries and draws many issues and the difficulties faced by the libraries. Data are collected and analyzed based on a survey conducted by the National Library Support Center for the Disabled. As a further research users with disabilities study is recommended. Apart from the visually impaired, people with hearing impairment and physical impairment should be included.

• Journal of Korean Library and Information Science Society
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.45-66
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• 2006

The public library is the local centre of information, the gateway to knowledge. Based on these identities, the public libraries should provide a basic condition for lifelong learning, cultural activities, and. information literacy skills of the individual and social groups. The purpose of this paper is to reflect the lifelong learning activities of public libraries and suggest it's directions in Korea. The lifelong learning of public libraries for the future needs to focus on a closer connection with library core competences, supporting information literacy, reducing and bridging the digital divide for individuals with disabilities and the aged.

• Journal of Korean Library and Information Science Society
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.81-101
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• 2022

It is generally accepted that cultural capital is constructed through cultural environments that facilitate the cultural activities of individuals. Although public libraries foster the cultural environment and support various cultural activities, there is controversy about whether public libraries still affect the formation of cultural capital in the current evolved cultural environment. This research empirically verified the roles of public libraries in the formation of cultural capital by conducting a survey targeting public library users. As a result, public libraries as cultural institutions play an important role in providing opportunities to access and utilize cultural resources and to experience various cultural activities, which are connected to the formation of different types of cultural capital. In addition, public libraries function to close the cultural divide and social disparities by providing equal opportunities to construct cultural capital for community members.

• Journal of Korean Library and Information Science Society
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.399-421
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• 2003

The author explored the survival and prosperity strategies for Korean public libraries in the age of information technology. She reviewed that public libraries can perform these strategies or not. On the basis of the review, she identified 5 problems of public libraries : shortage of libraries and collections, staff inefficiency, inadequate services, inefficient design of library facilities. And then she proposed solutions to improve the present state of public libraries in Korea ; campaigning for constructing libraries, increasing the materials budget, turning nonprofessional work to professional work of staff, and constructing libraries for safety and preservation.

• Journal of Korean Library and Information Science Society
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.279-298
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• 1999

Information gap widens as the information society matures. This paper delineates the factors causing information gap as socioeconomic gap, commercialization of information privation of information means and information explosion. Due to these factors information gap between the information poor and the information rich inevitably widens. To bridge the information gap requires policy efforts that are based on democratic principles. This paper asserts that the public domain of information should be secured to ensure the fair and equal access to information and use of information. It is also argued that the function and role of the public information systems such as public libraries, public schools should be expanded and fortified to ensure the minimum level of fairness and equality in an information society. It is suggested that a public site in a cyber-space might be needed to form public opinions and exchange basic information.

• Journal of the Korean Society for information Management
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.53-81
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• 2019

The 3rd Library Comprehensive Development Plan (2019-2023) of the Committee on Library and Information Policy under IFLA-UN 2030 Agenda emphasize the role of libraries in practicing social inclusion. At home and abroad, this is shedding new light on libraries as the public service institutions aimed at resolving information inequality. This study thus developed the information inequality measurement indicator optimized for libraries. For this purpose, FGI and Delphi technique were implemented as the verification stage of the expert group. As a result, the final indicators were derived in three evaluation areas, twelve evaluation items, and 30 evaluation indicators. Specifically, first, 3 evaluation items and 8 evaluation indicators were derived in the access evaluation area; second, 5 evaluation items and 12 evaluation indicators were derived in the competency evaluation area; and third, 4 evaluation items and 10 evaluation indicators were derived in the utilization evaluation area. This study is considered to be of great significance in that the information inequality measurement indicators optimized for libraries were developed, the first of its kind.

• Journal of the Korean BIBLIA Society for library and Information Science
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.113-137
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• 2018

This study examined relevant literature to review the concept of low-income class, its criteria and types. Based on the cases surveyed, the service status of public libraries for low-income class in South Korea was determined. Based on the findings of this study, we proposed new library services necessary for low-income class, such as the implementation of relevant programs aimed at resolving the digital information divide of low-income class, the introduction of employment programs for the self-economic-support for low-income class adults, and the introduction of reading and counseling therapy services. In addition, this study proposed five policies for activating library services for the low-income class: (1) To revise the act on library law so as to clarify the concept of low-income class, its criteria and types, (2) to revise the master plan for library development so as to bolster the library services for low-income class, (3) to conduct a national-level survey of the low-income class status and of the library service status, (4) to determine the actual features of the low-income class and their information demands, and (5) to prepare library services tailored to the diverse types of low-income class.

• Journal of Korean Library and Information Science Society
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.139-166
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to study digital divide research trends of LIS fields and other social science fields through the analysis of author keyword network of peer-reviewed journal articles using NetMiner4 software. The author keyword was collected from KCI database. The results of the study were as follows: 1) the digital divide studies were focused on information services provision for information disadvantaged group by the public libraries in LIS fields. However, the studies of other social science fields were focused on the unique characteristics of information society and a new phenomenon of digital divide in the smart era, 2) compared with the other social science fields, there were a few researches about the old among the underprivileged, 3)there was little interest in other types of libraries except public libraries in LIS fields, 4)there is a need to study new types of digital divide in the smart era by LIS scholars.