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A Study of Scholarly Information Services in Public Libraries

  • Journal of the Korean Society for Library and Information Science
  • 2025, 59(4), pp.251~272
  • Publisher : 한국문헌정보학회
  • Research Area : Interdisciplinary Studies > Library and Information Science
  • Received : October 16, 2025
  • Accepted : November 21, 2025
  • Published : November 30, 2025

Kang Min-ji 1 Yejin Kwon 2

1성균관대학교
2성균관대학교 문헌정보학과

Excellent Accredited

ABSTRACT

This study aims to analyze the current status of scholarly information services in public libraries in Korea. To this end, it examines data from the Korean National Library Statistics System, metropolitan representative libraries, and three individual public libraries. The analysis of national statistics revealed that approximately 61% of public libraries provide scholarly information services, and that smaller libraries—based on budget and membership size—are less likely to operate such services. Furthermore, case studies on the metropolitan representative library and three individual libraries investigated their operation methods, number of databases offered, and access points. The findings indicate that Korean public libraries’ scholarly information services are limited in quantitative scale, vary significantly in service quality among libraries, and suffer from insufficient budgets, staffing, and expertise. These limitations appear to stem from a lack of consensus on the definition and scope of scholarly information services, as well as insufficient recognition of their necessity. This study contributes as foundational data for discussing future directions to enhance scholarly information services in Korean public libraries.

Citation status

* References for papers published after 2024 are currently being built.