THE WEATHER is splendid, as crystal blue skies are overhead and deep green leaves stand out from the surroundings—it is an ideal weather to grab a book and read outdoor in nature. Fortunately, there is a perfect opportunity for book lovers to do exactly this at a small haven located in the heart of Seoul. “Reading books at Seoul Plaza," a project sponsored by the Seoul Metropolitan Library, is being held from April 23 to November 12. 

 “Reading books at Seoul Plaza” 

   The outdoor library in Seoul Plaza provides a pleasant outdoor space in the center of the city, where people have the option to choose from a collection of 5,000 books, as well as engage in other activities while enjoying the peaceful scenery. The library provides books, culture, and art programs for the people of Seoul, perfectly satisfying the need for a library as an open safe space that is freely accessible to all.

   “Reading books at Seoul Plaza” is open from Thursdays to Sundays from April 23 until June 25, when it closes for the summer. It will then reopen on September 1 and operate until November 12. “Reading books at Seoul Plaza” is divided into four zones: Performance, Reading, Play, and Pop-up. The Performance zone is a space that operates physical and mental health programs on the weekdays and healing reading programs on the weekends. The Reading zone is a space to enjoy relaxed reading from bean bag chairs and mats, tucked away under parasols. The Play and Pop-up zones host a variety of programs such as performances, exhibitions, and games[1]. 

   The most important focus of this project is the operation of an open library where anyone that visits Seoul Plaza can freely borrow and read books of various themes—all carefully curated by the Seoul Metropolitan Library. Around 5,000 books have been divided into 11 themed bookshelves under specially selected values that the Seoul Metropolitan Library aspires to share with the citizens of Seoul. The 11 themes and values are as follows: Reading love,  Reading the future, Reading culture, Reading sympathy, Reading one's health, Reading as one pleases, Reading fanaticism, Reading recommendations, Reading the world, Reading one's childhood memories, and Reading a journey[1]. 

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   The Seoul outdoor library contributes to creating a safe, comfortable, and free outdoor library space for the citizens. Additionally, it provides various high-quality programs for people to engage in. The library operates in hopes to improve the citizens' literacy and increase their overall enjoyment of books. Therefore, visiting the Seoul outdoor library and reading or partaking in one of its programs would be a great way to spend the weekend.

[1] Seoul Metropolitan Library