Abstract

In Gyeonggi-do(province), where the largest number of small libraries are located in Korea, 42% of small libraries are located in apartment complexes. However, as libraries established under legal obligations are managed and operated on voluntary will, there have been numerous ongoing cases of temporary closure or permanent shut down. To revitalize small libraries in apartment complexes, it is reasonable to seek ways to revitalize them through the role of the central point of the village community in the complex. To that end, this study surveyed the current status of small libraries in Gyeonggi-do, a survey of small library operators and related persons in apartment housing complexes and similar residential communities in Gyeonggi-do and 31 cities and counties. Based on this, this study was intended to derive practical measures to revitalize the operation and preservation of small libraries in such residential communities. Four goals were set to improve community awareness of small libraries, cultivate self-operating abilities, improve laws and systems, and strengthen support for local governments. Research needs to be carried out not only for small libraries in apartment complexes in Gyeonggi-do but also for the continued development of other small private libraries.