CDNLAO Newsletter
No. 107, March 2026
On 15 October 2025, the National Library of Korea (NLK) commemorated its 80th anniversary, marking eight decades of dedication to preserving Korea’s intellectual heritage and expanding public access to knowledge. Established in 1945 shortly after Korea’s liberation, the NLK has grown alongside the nation itself, evolving from a traditional repository of printed materials into a comprehensive national knowledge infrastructure supporting both analog and digital resources.
Over the past 80 years, the NLK has played a central role in collecting, preserving, and disseminating Korea’s documentary heritage while strengthening nationwide library networks and international cooperation. Today, the Library manages nearly 15 million physical items and more than 20 million digital resources, serving as the backbone of Korea’s bibliographic control, digital archiving, and open knowledge initiatives.
A Celebration Shared with the Public
To mark this milestone, the NLK hosted a commemorative ceremony and a series of public programs that brought together librarians, cultural professionals, partner institutions, and citizens. The anniversary event highlighted not only institutional achievements but also the Library’s enduring relationship with the public.
The celebration featured congratulatory messages, cultural performances, and participatory programs designed to reflect on the Library’s past while envisioning its future. Visitors were invited to explore interactive installations and curated displays illustrating how the NLK has documented Korea’s social transformation—from post-liberation reconstruction to the digital era. The event emphasized the Library’s role as a living civic space where knowledge, memory, and community converge.
A key theme of the anniversary was "connecting generations." By presenting archival materials alongside contemporary digital services, the NLK demonstrated how accumulated knowledge continues to inform new forms of learning, creativity, and research. This approach underscored the Library’s commitment to inclusivity, lifelong learning, and cultural continuity.
< Photo 1, 2. Opening Ceremony of the National Library of Korea’s 80th Anniversary >
< Photo 3. 80th Anniversary Commemorative Concert >
Special Exhibition: My Dream, Our Stories—The Korean Bookshelves
Complementing the anniversary ceremony, the NLK presented a special exhibition titled My Dream, Our Stories—The Korean Bookshelves, offering visitors a curated journey through Korea’s reading culture and collective memory.
The exhibition showcased rare books, historical documents, and multimedia installations, tracing how personal aspirations and national narratives intersect through recorded knowledge. By juxtaposing individual stories with institutional archives, the exhibition invited audiences to reflect on how libraries preserve not only texts, but also dreams, identities, and shared experiences across generations.
Designed as an immersive experience, the exhibition highlighted landmark moments in Korean publishing and librarianship while also introducing emerging digital collections. This narrative arc illustrated how the NLK continues to adapt its mission in response to technological change, expanding access through digitization, open data, and AI-ready resources.
< Photo 4, 5, 6. Special Exhibition "My Dream, Our Stories—The Korean Bookshelves >
Looking Ahead: Toward the Next Century
The 80th anniversary served not merely as a retrospective celebration, but as a strategic turning point. The NLK outlined future priorities including long-term preservation infrastructure, AI literacy initiatives, expanded digital archives, and deeper international collaboration. As Korea’s national library, the NLK aims to further strengthen its role in global knowledge exchange while ensuring equitable access to information for all citizens.
By honoring its past and actively shaping its future, the National Library of Korea reaffirmed its identity as a cultural anchor and a forward-looking knowledge institution. The anniversary celebrations highlighted a core message: libraries are not static repositories, but dynamic platforms where history, technology, and human creativity meet.
This article is based on content from Today's Library [오늘의 도서관], Issues 336–338 (October–December 2025), published by the National Library of Korea.
Copyright (C) 2026 National Library of Korea
