Library that Goes Beyond Libraries
Korea University opens a library without reading rooms – CJ Creator Library
Reading Rooms turn into a playground for creativity

 
College libraries have been nothing more than a collection of books and reading rooms – before Korea University (KU) opened a library that goes beyond being just a library, but rather a yisanghan (that could mean either “strange” or “ideal” in Korean) library.

Korea University (KU) opened the CJ Creator Library at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, May 30.

The KU CJ Creator Library (CCL) provides what conventional libraries have never provided: one-person media studios, stages for art performances and academic colloquiums, a rest area where students can lie down, and resizable study rooms.

The KU CCL expects that these newer and rather “strange” places will make an “ideal” place for KU students.

KU initiated its “Yisanghan Library” project in October 2016, when it collected ideas for renovating its libraries from students, a number of which have been reflected in the design of the KU CCL.

“With the opening of the CCL and C-Lounge, KU libraries are looking and marching forward,” said KU President Jaeho Yeom at the CCL Opening Ceremony. “These will hopefully be part of our students’ culture and even their everyday lives.”

The opening of the KU CCL, a fruit of the collaboration between KU and the CJ Group with the objective of incubating creative future leaders, presents a new model of industry-academia collaboration in which colleges offer spaces and human resources, and companies offer facilities and experiences, which is expected contribute ultimately to the good of all society.

The KU CCL enables students not only to use or consume information, but also to produce and distribute it, thereby grounding a new paradigm of college libraries – libraries as “cultural complexes for creativity.”

Henceforward, the KU CCL plans to support the creation of video lectures for students and the local community, help future leaders of content-based commerce to distribute their own products via collaboration with DIA TV of CJ E&M, and foster one-person start-up business models.