Since opening in 2008, Seoul’s Modoo Library has gone from strength to strength, doubling its number of books and opening 12 programs for multicultural children.

In addition to the Modoo library in Imun-dong, Seoul, there are another six Modoo branches in Korea.

Each one has more than 10,000 books in at least nine languages ― and is becoming popular with children without a multicultural background, too.

“Considering Modoo’s small size, 12 regular programs is a large number,” said Sung Ji-yeon, a staff member at Modoo.

“We are managing the programs with participation from visitors and volunteers including children, college students and experts in many fields.”

Each Wednesday, volunteers from Japan, China, Mongolia, Vietnam and the Philippines read story books in different languages to children. During the class called “Children’s Story in Mom’s Country,” children can read books, talk about the story with each other, and take quizzes.

A puppet show called “Trip to Fairyland of Mom’s Country” is a step up from the story program, where mothers and children perform a show based on a story book.

The program, which started in 2009, was chosen as one of the best programs in 2011 by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The puppet shows have spread and are performed in other libraries and hospitals as well.

On Fridays, mothers from multicultural families get together and make their own books, having a chance to learn more about each other.

“Even if they are not good at speaking Korean, the mothers taking part in this program seem to enjoy communication,” said Sung.

“My Own Reading Mate” is a program that pairs children whose parents are not proficient in Korean with volunteers. The children read books with their volunteers, giving them the chance to experience a part of childhood many take for granted.

Also, the library’s programs are not restricted to people from multicultural families.

Korean mother Lee Jung-hee often visits the Modoo library with her two sons.

“My 7-year-old and 6-year-old sons love it here. I think this library is a good place to learn different cultures through many programs,” she said.

Modoo started as a library that specializes in services for multicultural families.

“Even though we opened the library to meet the needs of multicultural families, the original goal was not to separate them. We hope many local residents enjoy the many programs regardless of their backgrounds,” Sung Ji-yeon in Modoo said. “Moreover, the multicultural families are not always the ones who need help. They also participate in many activities such as taking care of old people in the area.”

With the running of its numerous programs, the library has also grown in the number of volumes it houses since its opening.

The Seoul library started with 5,000 books in Korean and 5,000 books in foreign languages. Now it has around 20,000 books in 15 languages, including 12,780 in Korean, 1,422 in Chinese, 684 in Japanese, 1,217 in Vietnamese, 545 in Mongolian, 197 in Russian, 409 in Bangladeshi, 438 in Indian, 652 in Thai, 734 in English, 738 in Nepali, 100 in Iranian, 100 in Cambodian, and 100 in other languages.

Other than Seoul, the other six Modoo libraries are located in Changwon, Busan, Gumi, Daegu, Cheongju and Ansan. Each library has about 10,000 books in nine to 15 languages and runs its own programs.

“We are cooperating with each other through workshops and online communication to make better libraries,” said Sung, who works in the Seoul branch.

This year was designated the “Year of Book Reading” by the Culture Ministry.

“To meet the needs from the increasing number of foreign residents and multicultural families, we are supporting the operation of reference rooms and programs that are specialized for them,” a spokesperson from the National Library of Korea said.

The National Library of Korea runs a website (http://multiculture.dibrary.net) that acts as a one-stop source of information about library services for foreign residents and multicultural families.

The Gyeonggi Cyber Library also runs a website (http://global.library.kr/Korea/) to help foreign residents access libraries in Gyeonggi Province.

By Yi Ji-won (rabbite2@nate.com)