1. Reasons for Proposal

As the policy environment surrounding libraries has changed significantly, the Library Act was revised (Act No. 18547, fully amended on December 7, 2021, and enforced on December 8, 2022) for the purpose of reorganizing the system so that the State is able to take responsibility for the operation and development of libraries, strengthening consideration for the knowledge and information poor such as the disabled, and reorganizing relevant provisions for the universal use of libraries by citizens. 

Accordingly, this amendment aims to determine matters delegated by the Act, such as the scope of the knowledge and information poor, designation or establishment/operation of representative libraries over a wide area, prior consultation on national public library establishment, prior evaluation of the feasibility of the establishment of public libraries, registration of public libraries, operational evaluation of public libraries, Library Day, standards for library personnel/facilities/materials, and matters necessary for the enforcement thereof.

2. Major Provisions

A. Expand the scope of the knowledge and information poor (Article 2).

B. Simplify the legal deposit in the form of online materials (if an international standard data number has been assigned) and digital files that the State, local governments, and public institutions present in relation to the number of legal deposit copies of library materials as one legal deposit copy (Article 15 (4) 3).

C. Change the library materials deliberation committee to a non-standing committee (Article 17).

D. Provide matters concerning the designation, establishment, and operation of a representative library over a wide area and standards for the arrangement of librarians and the facilities and collections of a representative library over a wide area (Article 23 and Attached Table 1).

E. Newly insert necessary matters such as prior consultation on the establishment of the national public library and the procedure and documents to be submitted for the preliminary evaluation of the feasibility of establishing a public library (Articles 26 and 27).

F. Newly insert matters regarding public library registration procedures and methods, documents to be submitted, change registration, closing notification, and the cancellation of registration (Articles 28, 29, 31, and Attached Table 2).

G. Newly insert matters concerning the preparation of guidelines and evaluation procedures for the operational evaluation of registered public libraries (Article 30).

H. Provide a basis for commemorative events held during the month of Library Day and Library Week and the State and local governments shall provide the necessary support for the events (Article 32).

I. Correct problems that could be interpreted differently by clearly describing the relationship between the acquisition of academic background/qualification and career in the librarian qualification requirements, and abolish the qualification requirements for professional engineers in information processing, which are the abolished qualifications (Article 33 and Attached Table 3).

J. Provide standards for the arrangement of librarians necessary for library operation, standards for library facilities and library materials, and standards for exchanges, transfer/disposal, and expulsion of library materials (Article 34 and Attached Tables 4 and 5).

K. Provide the details and method of the report for the implementation of the status report on the management/operation status of registered public libraries by heads of national public libraries, Mayors / Do Governors, Superintendents of the Office of Education of each Si/Do, or heads of Si/Gun/Gu (Article 36).

L. Establish standards for the imposition of administrative fines for violators of the duty to ensure a legal deposit and those who violate the rules for prohibiting the use of similar names (Article 38 and Attached Table 6).