The 9th National Library Committee, the nation’s highest library policy body that deliberates and coordinates library policies across government ministries, will officially launch on Monday, July 20. Led by Chairperson Kim Ki-young, the new committee comprises 27 members spanning the private sector and the government, and will serve as the control tower setting the direction of national library policy.
 [The Korean Today] AI-generated illustration depicting the content of the article © Reporter Kim Mi-hee |
The National Library Committee is a statutory body established under Article 11 of the Libraries Act. Since its establishment on June 12, 2007, it has been tasked with formulating, deliberating and coordinating major matters concerning library policy, and is distinctive in that it oversees library policies spanning multiple ministries rather than being confined to a single agency. Alongside the chairperson and other civilian members, the ministers of 12 government ministries, including the minister of culture, sports and tourism, who serves as vice chairperson, participate as ex officio members.
Kim Ki-young, who will lead the 9th committee, was appointed by President Lee Jae-myung on May 18. Kim is a professor of library and information science at Yonsei University and an expert with extensive experience in both academia and the library field, having served as chair of the Korean Library Association’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Smart Work Committee, a member of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education’s Library Policy Advisory Committee, and vice president of the Korean Society for Library and Information Science.
Following the chairperson’s appointment, Kim appointed 14 civilian members on July 20, the committee’s launch date. The civilian members were selected from figures with expertise and field experience not only in the library sector but also in areas including publishing, culture and the arts, and law. The 9th committee is thus composed of 27 members in total: Chairperson Kim Ki-young, the minister of culture, sports and tourism as ex officio vice chairperson, 14 appointed civilian members and 11 ex officio government members.
Under the law, the committee consists of up to 30 members, including one chairperson and one vice chairperson. The chairperson is appointed by the president from among experts in the library or knowledge and information fields, while the minister of culture, sports and tourism serves as vice chairperson ex officio. The ex officio government members include the ministers of the Ministry of Finance and Economy; the Ministry of Science and ICT; the Ministry of Education; the Ministry of Justice; the Ministry of National Defense; the Ministry of the Interior and Safety; the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy; the Ministry of Health and Welfare; the Ministry of Gender Equality; the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport; and the Ministry of Planning and Budget, providing a framework for library policy to be pursued in tandem with education, welfare, land and other areas of state affairs.
A policy official at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said, “The 9th committee is composed of experts from a wide range of fields, including publishing, culture and the arts, and education, as well as academia and the library field,” adding, “Drawing on the members’ expertise and field experience, we will concentrate our policy capabilities on implementing the 4th Comprehensive Library Advancement Plan without disruption, so that the public can experience its core values of ‘warm companionship, community growth and a sustainable future’ in their daily lives.”
Given that libraries are the knowledge and cultural infrastructure closest to residents’ everyday lives, the outcomes of the 4th Comprehensive Library Advancement Plan to be pursued by the new committee are expected to be directly linked to the quality of public library services nationwide. Attention is now focused on whether the 9th committee, with experts from diverse fields on board, can translate library policy into tangible results the public can feel in their daily lives.
[ Reporter Kim Mi-hee: incheonsouth@thekoreantoday.com ]
Become a Local Ambassador Apply as Branch Director The Korean Today — Nam-Incheon
 |
Leave a Reply