The NLK offers a promotional booth at the 2022 Seoul International Book Fair

The National Library of Korea (Chief Executive Suh Hye Ran) participated in the 2022 Seoul International Book Fair, which was held from June 1 to June 5 at COEX Hall A in Seoul.

The library raised awareness of the legal deposit system and other activities of the library at the book fair, including acquisition of Korea-related materials located overseas, the publication of the National Bibliography, and provision of policy information services. Legal deposit refers to the requirement based on Article 20 of the Libraries Act that a person or group should submit copies of publications to a repository designated by law. The legal deposit system provides a foundation for the systematic acquisition and preservation of the nation’s knowledge resources.

Photo. The NLK booth at the 2022 Seoul International Book Fair

▲ An exhibition of national treasures, including Dongui Bogam, and work journals created by librarians at the National Library around the time of national independence

The library exhibited photo print copies of national treasures from its collections, including Dongui Bogam (National Treasure No. 319-1) and Jasaneobo (Important National Science and Technology Resource) as well as modern literary works and Ddakjibon popular novels. Also included at the exhibition was work journals from librarians at the National Library around the time of the country’s independence from Japan, which gave visitors an interesting taste of life at the time, along with online resources such as the Korean Newspaper Archive, the National Disaster Archive, and the Digital Collection.

▲ Experiencing library content through state-of-the-art technology

The library also provided Virtual Bookshelves to allow visitors a rare opportunity to view high-resolution images of the old maps Joseon Pungsokdo and Yeojido. It was an interactive feature in which visitors could simply touch the screen to move to different sections of the bookshelves or find information on a chosen image. Virtual Bookshelves are an experiential exhibition that offer selected library content using interactive technology.

Visitors were also able to try out AR character cards, AR book cards, and XR book games created by the National Library for Children and Young Adults to enrich the reading experience of young readers.

AR is an acronym for augmented reality, a technology that enhances the real-world environment through computer-generated information or images. Extended reality (XR) is a term encompassing augmented reality, virtual reality, mixed reality, and other future technologies to come.

▲ The Data Preservation Center, a space upholding the spirit of the country’s 1,000-year-old history archives

The library also introduced the Data Preservation Center, which is scheduled to open in 2026 with a goal of ensuring the systematic preservation of national knowledge resources and the establishment of state-of-the-art restoration systems.

“It is hoped that our participation in the book fair helped raise awareness of the importance of legal deposit among publishers and will support efforts to collect and preserve the knowledge resources being produced in this country for future generations,” said an NLK official.

(Source)

https://www.nl.go.kr/NL/contents/N50603000000.do?schM=view&page=1&viewCount=9&id=42911&schBdcode=&schGroupCode=