Korean Job Discussion Forums

MollyBloom · Joined: 21 Jul 2006 Location: James Joyce's pants

Where are the public libraries in Seoul? Are they good for non-fluent speaker; do they have a decent English selection? Can I get a library card?

Also, is there any chance of me getting into a university library?

Sorry for the questions, but I really need to print up a lot of articles, and obviously don't want to do it at work.

jdog2050 · Joined: 17 Dec 2006

MollyBloom · Joined: 21 Jul 2006 Location: James Joyce's pants

Oh yeah? What are you interested in getting/reading?

Bondrock · Joined: 08 Oct 2006 Location: ^_^

Molly:

most world-class universities have a lending policy for visiting researchers. if you present your credentials and can prove who you are, the major universities in the Seoul area should grant you basic lending privileges. You will need a professional endorsement, preferably from a department head or a respected faculty member.

expect a delay of a few weeks to get a card and also, you will need a Korean to do the initial glad-handing-run-around.

i have access to some libraries in Korea and i gained that access through my professional references and contacts.

good luck

Bond

xox · Joined: 11 Jun 2006 Location: Bundang

so are there any public libraries in Seoul that we can go look at books or sit around and work on lesson plannings and etc?
Anything like Public Libraries in Canada and the U.S?

reactionary · Joined: 22 Oct 2006 Location: korreia

yeah from what i've seen, bandi and lunni in COEX is the library for koreans and foreigners alike in my vicinity...

CentralCali · Joined: 17 May 2007

To borrow books from the public libraries here in Busan, all I had to do was register with one of the libraries in the system, showing them my alien registration card. My ARC now also functions as my library card. Koreans register with the library and show their national identification card for the same purpose.

One thing that delighted me, when I returne a few books approximately a month late, was that there was no fine charged for late return.

Atavistic · Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2007 10:47 pm Post subject:

CentralCali · Joined: 17 May 2007

I was a bit worried about it for that very reason! I took the things back when the library was closed and dropped them in the drop-box. The next chance I had to be in the vicinity of a library while it was open was across town. I went to the librarian's desk and asked how to go about paying my late fee. She got a big kick out of that. "There's no fee. Anyway, nobody turns the books in on time unless they want to get another one!"

OiGirl · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Location: Hoke-y-gun

betchay · Joined: 23 Aug 2005 Location: Seoul

Jeongdok Public Library - I was here yesterday. It's about 200 meters from Insadong. I just walked inside the library while waiting for the rain to cease as I didn't bring an umbrella Confused

. Visit their website at http://www.jeongdok.or.kr/english/index.html

Parking is free for the first hour. Bring your ARC to get a library card.

reactionary · Joined: 22 Oct 2006 Location: korreia

uhhh ok so they exist. any around nambu terminal? or is there a listing online (in either english or korean)?

betchay · Joined: 23 Aug 2005 Location: Seoul

^^ check this list...

http://www.jeongdok.or.kr/english/sub_4_1.html

CentralCali · Joined: 17 May 2007

From betchay's link, I clicked on "Guide to public libraries & Lifelong learning Centers in Seoul" and it took me to this site which lists them, along with the days closed, the telephone numbers, and the homepages.

sojourner1 · Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 5:07 am Post subject:

Back where I come from, they send the police to arrest you if you're late returning your city library books. It's called theft if they are not back in on time and they do indeed pursue it as I was arrested over $30 of over due library fines I didn't honestly know I had after returning a few books in St. Louis City, Missouri a couple years ago. The whole ordeal costed me $299 I didn't have while struggling in the finance department during college. Totally loco and asinine. That's cool that Korea screens you and has to require references, but doesn't care if a day late on return. However this excludes 99.5% of all foreigners, but I figure they have nothing of interest or that I can read as I am very illiterate here so I just use internet.

I can understand if libraries don't want to take the risk of lending to foreigners and definitely anyone without ID, as to protect their collection from flying away. You know Korea is a very overly protective country as it has a history riddled with over 700 foreign invasions where it was all taken from them. This is why nothing is old here despite it being an old country and culture.