The books that you need are the books that everybody wants. This is one of the miserable facts facing Ewha students when it comes to borrowing books from the Centennial Library. It is hard for students to borrow the books that they really want to read because most of them are already lent out and at least two or three students have already made reservations for such books. “I reserved the book ‘The Last Lecture’ with 20 students ahead of me. Now, I am still waiting for the book with seven students ahead of me,” said Lim Hee-sun (Science Education, 3). For students like Lim, the Ewha Voice wants to introduce the Sangwhal Library, a library run by students on the second floor in the Student Union Building.
      The Sangwhal Library is open Monday through Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. All Ewha students can read in the library or borrow books for a week. In case of the recently published books, students can borrow the books on Friday and return them the following Monday. “This is to give an opportunity to read the latest books to as many students as possible,” said Park Yoo-jin (Political Science & Diplomacy, 2), the chief librarian of the library. Since it is a “library,” studying in the library is not allowed. But, during the mid-term period, students are allowed to study for their exams.
      Even though the Sangwhal Library does not have as many books as the Centennial Library, it has books ranging in various fields from Literature, Religion, Social Science, Natural Science, Women’s Studies to even North Korean Studies. “We have about 1,329 literature books that suit the tastes of university students. And we try to take in students’ opinion on what they want to read when we buy books,” said Park. The library also has newspapers and magazines that can be easily read during free periods such as the Hankyoreh newspaper, National Geography, Cine21 and the like.
      The Sangwhal Library was first opened when the whole country was ruled by a military dictator. To hide some banned books, Sangwhal Library was established by students who participated in student movements against military dictatorship. The students used to gather together and read the books in the library. Now the library aims to promote an atmosphere that helps students pour over the books that they really want read instead of textbooks. “Even in the Centennial Library, we can find many students reading textbooks or books about employment rather than novels. We want students to take a break while reading books that can set their mind free,” said Park.
      However, the Sangwhal Library is facing a few difficulties. “Because we do not have enough librarians, students sometimes are not able to borrow or return their books. I am worried because it causes an inconvenience for students,” said Park. The library is recruiting students who can work as librarians for four semesters.
      Also, the library has been struggling with the lack of attention from students. According to a research conducted by the Sangwhal Library, only one or two students per hour visit the library. To advertise the library to more Ewha students, the Sangwhal Library holds a Book Cafe where students can read and eat food served by the library during May university festival season.
      “As another way of promoting the Sangwhal Library, we are planning to publish newsletters regularly,” said Park. “I feel sorry for students who do not know about our library and wait for a long time to borrow books from the Centennial Library. I hope many Ewha students can take advantage of the Sangwhal Library,” said Choi Hong-eun (Advertisement & Public Relations, 2), the vice chief librarian.
      “I often visit the Sangwhal library during the semester because I like the calm and quiet atmosphere of it. It gives me time to read books and escape from my busy daily life,” said Song Min-hee (Business Administration, 4).

저작권자 © Ewha Voice 무단전재 및 재배포 금지