Andong's Gyeongbuk Provincial Library: Better Than Starfield?
Explore Gyeongbuk Provincial Library in Andong, a fantastic indoor destination for families. With diverse facilities from cafes to kids' zones, it's a true hidden gem!
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Explore Gyeongbuk Provincial Library in Andong, a fantastic indoor destination for families. With diverse facilities from cafes to kids' zones, it's a true hidden gem!
Before the Chuseok holiday, I visited Andong, which is where my children's maternal grandparents live.
The weather was incredibly hot, so while searching for indoor places to visit with the kids in Andong, I discovered and explored the Gyeongbuk Provincial Library. Here's my review!
It's a fantastic spot where you can enjoy a cafe, a DVD audiovisual room, exhibition halls, and, of course, the library itself. Truly a wonderful place to spend time indoors with the kids!
What I can confidently say, from my personal experience, is that the Gyeongbuk Provincial Library actually impressed me more than Seoul's famous Starfield Library at COEX.
Address: 200 Doreong-daero, Homyeong-myeon, Yecheon-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do
Operating Hours: Daily 09:00 - 18:00 (Partial opening for loan/return services only)
Closed: Public holidays
Additional Closures: First and third Mondays of every month / National holidays (excluding Sundays)
Phone Number: 054-650-3900
📍 Gyeongbuk Provincial Library
200 Doreong-daero, Homyeong-myeon, Yecheon-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do
The entire building is dedicated to the library.
You can probably imagine just how massive it is, right?
Weekdays: 9:00 - 21:00
Weekends: 9:00 - 18:00
The library is closed on the first and third Mondays of every month and on national holidays (excluding Sundays).
Let me guide you through the floor-by-floor information, from the 1st to the 4th floor.
The 1st floor features a lobby, a focused reading room, and on the other side, a dedicated children's library.
The 1st-floor lobby was thoughtfully designed with tables and chairs, making it a perfect spot to relax and recharge.
On the 2nd floor, you'll find cultural classrooms and exhibition halls, along with a digital media room that kids will absolutely adore!
The 3rd floor also houses a General Reference Room, a Periodical Room, and a Teen Reading Room.
Head up to the 4th floor for an Open Reading Room and a delightful book cafe.
Here's a glimpse of the 1st-floor reading room.
On the 1st floor, you'll find ample information about the diverse events and programs hosted within the library.
The 1st-floor lobby truly offers a splendid lounge area.
It was thoughtfully designed with books, tables, and chairs, creating a welcoming space where visitors could unwind and relax at their leisure.
Right there in the 1st-floor lobby, I discovered an intriguing explanation about the National Forest Healing Center.
It instantly sparked an idea that I should definitely visit it someday.
Here's a peek at the 1st-floor reading room.
It was a bright and spacious area, offering a truly comfortable environment perfect for studying.
My curiosity about the overall facilities got the best of me, so I hopped into the elevator to start exploring each floor, beginning from the 4th.
Up on the 4th floor, you'll discover a delightful book cafe.
With drinks and light snacks available, and the freedom to browse books at your leisure, it felt less like a traditional library and more like a wonderfully relaxed book cafe.
I was genuinely surprised to see a machine right there in the cafe that lets you rent laptops freely – that was a first for me!
While I'm used to seeing places offer portable chargers, a laptop rental machine was a completely new and impressive sight!
And get this – tucked away in a corner of the book cafe was a gorgeous space that felt just like a botanical garden!
Now, let's head down to the 3rd floor for a glimpse of the General Reference Room.
Even here in the General Reference Room, the chairs looked incredibly comfy – perfect for a long read!
Beyond the General Reference Room, the 3rd floor also hosts a Periodical Room, a Copy Room, and even a Youth Reading Room, among other fantastic spaces.
Stepping into the Periodical Room, I discovered a wonderful collection and exhibition of books by authors hailing from Gyeongbuk.
You could even find spots to make copies.
Here's a glimpse into the 3rd-floor reading room!
They had multiple group study rooms specifically designed for teenagers.
It looks like a fantastic space for students to gather and study together, fostering a real sense of community!
Even within the reading rooms, where you can lose yourself in a book or dive into studies, the diverse seating and table arrangements create unique atmospheres. It's perfect for when you want a change of scenery to keep your reading experience fresh and inspiring!
On the second floor, the Special Exhibition Hall was hosting a captivating exhibition titled 'Tarot: Embracing Humanity.'
Stepping inside, I discovered a fun photo zone and a captivating array of tarot-related artworks.
If you've ever been drawn to the mystique of tarot or simply curious to learn more, I highly recommend checking out this exhibition!
Welcome to the Digital Resources Room, a fantastic spot where you can enjoy quality time with the kids!
Here, you can choose from a selection of Wavve on broadcasts and DVDs, and freely use computers – perfect for catching up on shows or getting some work done!
The DVDs were categorized by age rating, and they even had new releases available.
To use these facilities, you simply need to register as a Gyeongbuk Provincial Library member.
You can sign up through the app or a computer, and it's even possible on your phone, so the registration process was incredibly simple.
Since computers are available, it's one of the spaces kids absolutely love.
You can even borrow headphones to watch DVDs, so kids can enjoy movies together here.
I signed up as a member too, borrowed a DVD, and watched a new Transformers movie with my mom and eldest child.
From the second floor down to the first, there were fantastic spaces in the middle of the building where you could read or simply relax.
The second floor was great because there were so many spots to unwind everywhere.
On one side of the library, there was a magnificent, massive bookshelf.
Of course, it's smaller in scale than the Starfield Library at COEX in Samseong-dong, Seoul, but overall, the available spaces for visitors were far superior to the Starfield Library.
On the second floor, I spotted several fantastic spots perfect for taking photos.
I even took some pictures with my maternal family here.
So, that was my review of Gyeongbuk Provincial Library, which I visited yesterday.
Originally, I had planned to go to Hahoe Folk Village, but it was incredibly hot at the entrance, so I turned back. I started searching for indoor places to visit in Andong and stumbled upon this library, which seemed surprisingly large and even had a café. I decided to visit, and to my surprise, it was absolutely, incredibly wonderful!
In the Digital Resources Room, you can use PCs and DVDs for free, and with a book café, it was perfect for reading and enjoying a cup of tea. There's even an exhibition hall, allowing you to enjoy sightseeing and hands-on experiences all indoors at once! It's truly a place I highly recommend as an amazing spot to visit with kids in Andong.
The Gyeongbuk Provincial Library operates from 9 AM to 9 PM on weekdays and from 9 AM to 6 PM on weekends. It is closed on the first and third Mondays of every month, and on all public holidays except Sundays.
To watch Wavve on broadcasts, view DVDs, or use computers in the Digital Data Room, you must register as a member of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Library. Membership registration can be easily done via app, computer, or mobile phone.
The Special Exhibition Hall was hosting an exhibition titled 'Tarot, Embracing Humanity.' Inside, there was a photo zone and various tarot-related artworks on display.
At the 4th-floor Book Cafe, you can enjoy beverages and light snacks, and also rent and use laptops through a laptop rental machine. Additionally, there was a space designed to feel like a botanical garden.
On the 1st floor, there is a Children's Library. On the 2nd floor, children can use computers and DVDs in the Digital Data Room. The 3rd floor houses a Teen Reading Room and several group study rooms for teenagers.
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