• 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.

• Korean Institute of Interior Design Journal
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.143-151
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• 2017

This study aims to analyze the design of public libraries which act as anchors in culture-led urban regeneration. They have been built as city's symbols as well as catalysts to revitalize city centers and urban spaces since the 1990s. This study finds that the public libraries play roles in the urban development as cultural icons, multi-functional spaces, and public domain. This study examines the five examples of the libraries and finds their important design qualities as follow. First, public libraries are planned to symbolize local culture and history as cultural icons. The shapes of public libraries are expressed with sculptured cultural icons, while their facades are designed to signify cities' identities and images. Second, public libraries in culture-led urban regeneration have multi-functional spaces which provide diverse activities and experiences to visitors. The libraries often have galleries and theaters for cultural life, cafes and shops for daily uses, educational facilities, as well as public services, parking, and transport systems that connect to urban infrastructure. Third, the public libraries become the anchors of surrounding public spaces and cultural buildings. The libraries have the sequences of approach from entry plazas, transitional zones, and entrances to lobbies. Especially the transitional zones between the libraries and the cities that are covered with giant cantilevers expand the libraries' space and establish attractive urban spaces. Forth, the libraries employ nature and cityscapes in their design. The surfaces and openings of the libraries are adjusted to allow many attractive views to visitors. Fifth, the libraries have big lobby spaces which are the centers of the buildings as well as the public domain. The lobby spaces are designed as in-door spaces like out-doors with vertical and horizontal openness that allow the natural flows of light from ceilings, glass walls and vertical voids.

• Journal of the Korean BIBLIA Society for library and Information Science
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.153-178
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• 2012

This study covers the basic information of the small libraries nationwide, holding materials, facilities/equipment, human resources, budget, usage/users, and service etc. The survey is divided into 4 steps to produce accurate statistical data and analyze it. As a result, total 3,349 small libraries meet the criteria of the Library Act in 2010. Their holding materials, facilities/equipment, human resources, budget, usage, service program are lack of providing the knowledge information and reading culture service, which is defined in the Library Act. In particular, the majority of small libraries(80%) are in poor condition to operate library facilities/equipment, budget, and their operation. This study proposes some suggestions to overcome the poor condition and to make small libraries prosperous in the near future.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Library and Information Science
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.233-251
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• 2009

Following the Industrial Revolution, the United Kingdom achieved political, economic and social development earlier than other countries. The British people, who gained free time, wanted to have library services. Thus, the central government established the Public Libraries and Museums Act in 1850, which was the first in the world. The local government began to establish public libraries using tax income and provided free library services. At present, the operation and services of British public libraries have been developed and are exemplary, compared to South Korea and other developing countries. Thus, this study examined how the central and local governments in the U.K. developed their public library operations and services, and how they operate public libraries.

• Journal of Korean Library and Information Science Society
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.317-346
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• 2012

The purpose of this article is to discuss about the progress and problems in Korean academic library policies. The emphasis is on identifying both contents and limitations in national plans for developing academic libraries, and investigating the current status and characteristics of major policy driving forces such as national library policy committees, government organizations, and professional associations. Also investigated is the current status and unique features of legal foundations, especially the present Korean Library Act and a tentatively named Korean University Library Promotion Act, which is being prepared for legislation. Finally this article suggests both direction and strategy for a healthy development of Korean academic library policies at national level.

• Journal of Korean Library and Information Science Society
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.353-379
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• 2009

Since April last year when "the disability discrimination act" became effective in Korea, public libraries in Korea have been obligated to provide library service to the disabled. But most of public libraries in Korea do not and are not ready to service them. After finding out the characteristics of Korean disabled people and investigating current state of services for them in the public libraries of Korea by analyzing related statistics and laws, suggestions for the enhancement of public library service for disabled people in Korea were proposed.

• Journal of Korean Library and Information Science Society
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.319-337
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• 2008

This research aims to suggest ways of establishment and management of the Regional Central Libraries, which are expected to play an important role in promoting the quality of library services in metropolitan regions. The field survey for this research, however, shows that many regional governments have difficulties to establish and/or run the Libraries and the difficulties come from their inexperience in the library services. On the basis of the analysis, it suggests standard organizational structure of the Regional Central Libraries and specifies their services according to their roles and functions.

• Journal of Korean Library and Information Science Society
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.119-135
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to determine whether the pre-evaluation of the feasibility of establishing a public library, which is mandatory according to the revision of the Library Act, can improve the quality of the library. Therefore, the effectiveness of the preliminary evaluation was analyzed through the case analysis of the preliminary evaluation of the public library construction support project, which was implemented for the same purpose before the revision of the Library Act. In the case of libraries built after preliminary evaluation, most of the minimum standards for legal librarians required by the Enforcement Decree of the Library Act were secured, which helped secure basic library personnel. However, there were few libraries that secured and operated as much manpower as originally planned, and in some cases, the application applied to operate the library directly, but it was changed to consignment operation at the time of opening, so the pre-review details were not faithfully reflected. This study proposed re-establishing realistic librarian placement standards according to the revision of the law and introducing a post-evaluation using the library registration system so that it would not be a formal pre-process through case analysis.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Library and Information Science
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• v.58 no.2
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• pp.177-198
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• 2024

Article 22(1) of the Library Act, which was completely revised in December 2006, stipulated that regional representative libraries are statutory organizations, and Article 25(1) of the Library Act, which was revised again in late 2021, renamed them as metropolitan representative libraries and expanded their duties. The reason why cities and provinces are required to specify or establish and operate metropolitan representative libraries is that in addition to their role as public libraries for public information use, cultural activities, and lifelong learning as stipulated in Article 23 of the Act, they are also responsible for the legal works of metropolitan representative libraries as stipulated in Article 26, and lead the development of libraries and knowledge culture by serving as policy libraries, comprehensive knowledge information centers, support and cooperation centers, research centers, and joint preservation libraries for all public libraries in the city or province. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze and diagnose whether the metropolitan representative library has been faithfully fulfilling its legal works for the past 15 years(2009-2023), and whether it is properly providing the results of its statutory planning and implementation on its website to meet the digital and mobile era. Therefore, this study investigated and analyzed the performance of the metropolitan representative library for the last two years based on the current statutory tasks and evaluated the extent to which it provides them through its website, and suggested complementary measures to strengthen its web services. As a result, it was analyzed that the web services for legal works that the metropolitan representative library should perform are quite insufficient and inadequate, so it suggested complementary measures such as building a website for legal works on the homepage, enhancing accessibility and visibility through providing an independent website, providing various policy information and web services (portal search, inter-library loan, one-to-one consultation, joint DB construction, data transfer and preservation, etc.), and ensuring digital accessibility of knowledge information for the vulnerable.

• Journal of Korean Library and Information Science Society
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.239-259
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to find a better way for placement of teacher librarians after the revision of the Enforcement Decree of School Libraries Promotion Act. To do this, the literature research is applied for reviewing the policy and current status regarding the placement of school librarians. The Ministry of Education announced its willingness to secure the number of job openings for librarian teachers through the midium and long-term plan in the 3rd School Library Promotion Basic Plan. It is analyzed that 323 new teacher librarians need to be recruited every year, after estimating the demand for recruitment of teacher librarians by 2030, considering the 3rd school library promotion basic plan. Schools in Gyeonggi Province and Daegu with no school library personnel exclusively in charge of libraries have been allocated with temporary teacher librarians, as an attempt to comply with the legal obligation to place exclusive staff for libraries, faced with practical challenges of recruiting new teacher librarians in a limited amount of time. But survey through questionnaire method shows only 69 out of 122 survey participants, which account for 56.6%, have proper teacher librarian licences. According to the analysis of teacher librarianship status, only 146 people were trained in 2019. As a result, the field demand for librarian teachers surged, but it was found that the conditions for training excellent librarian teachers have not been provided. Therefore, it is necessary to actively prepare a way to secure a certain level of qualification holders with the qualifications of excellent teacher librarians.