At the Gwanak-gu Office, you can find a library operated by the district. It’s a small library located on the first floor of the district office. While it may not be very large in scale, it offers the opportunity to borrow and read books, as well as a space to take a break.
“Gwanak-gu Office Library, ‘Dragon Dreaming Small Library'”
The library inside the Gwanak-gu Office is called the ‘Dreaming Small Library’. As one of the libraries operated by Gwanak-gu, it has the advantage of being conveniently located within the district office.
The space is not particularly large. It consists of two floors, but it’s not a complete two-story structure. It feels more like a loft-style space. The first floor is set up as a library, and some areas are used as office space.
On the second floor, there are small desks and chairs available for reading along with bookshelves. Additionally, there are power outlets provided for those who want to bring a laptop and work.
“A Library Operated by Gwanak-gu”
The ‘Dreaming Small Library’ is one of the libraries operated by Gwanak-gu. If you can’t find the book you want here, you can borrow books from other libraries operated by Gwanak-gu through an interlibrary loan.
If you search for a book at a library near your home and can’t find it, but it’s available at another library within Gwanak-gu, you can request a ‘Book Sharing (Interlibrary Loan)’ to have it delivered to the library near your home.
“Membership Registration and Book Rental”
To rent books, you need to become a member. You can do this by visiting in person or by registering online on the ‘Gwanak-gu Office Library’ website.
- Gwanak-gu Office Library: http://lib.gwanak.go.kr/
You can register in person by presenting your identification card, or you can do it online.
After registering online, you can install the ‘Gwanak-gu Integrated Library’ app and use it by entering the ID and password you used for registration on the Gwanak-gu Office Library website. You can borrow up to 5 books for 2 weeks and extend the loan for another week.
“U Library Service”
The ‘U Library’ service is also available. After conducting a comprehensive search, it means borrowing and returning books at unmanned lending machines located inside subway stations near your home.
Within Gwanak-gu, there are ‘U Libraries’ installed at five locations including ‘Bongcheon Station, Seoul National University Station, Nakseongdae Station, Sindorim Station, and Sinrim Station’. You can request a book at a U Library, and if you specify a subway station near your home as the pickup location, it will be delivered within 1-2 days.
Once it’s delivered, you’ll receive a notification, and you should pick it up within 3 days of the delivery time, or it will be retrieved. However, when borrowing from a U Library, you can only borrow 2 books, not 5.
As a small library operated by Gwanak-gu, the Gwanak-gu Office Library is conveniently located not far from Seoul National University Station, making it a great place to utilize for book rentals. Personally, when I lived nearby, I would visit the library to borrow and read books. I’ve since moved to a different location and no longer use it, but it’s a useful place to know about.
“Seoul Gwanak-gu Office Small Library, Dreaming Small Library”
- Address: 145 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, South Korea, 1st floor of Gwanak-gu Office
- Website: http://lib.gwanak.go.kr/
- Phone Number: 02-889-8823
- Operating Hours: (Mon-Fri) 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM, (Sat) 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM