On the campus of the University of Seoul (UOS), there are lots of study rooms and four official libraries which students frequently use. Two of them are for jurisprudence and Business Economy respectively. Except for those two, one is in Centennial Memorial Hall, built to celebrate the centenary of the university. The last one is the Central Library. Central Library is much older than the others: it was built in 1988. Compared to Centennial Memorial Hall, Central Library was said to be shabby not only on the outside but also inside. For this reason, the Central Library went through a huge remodeling last semester.

The work started on July 5, 2019. The bricks of the outer walls were changed to new ones. From July to December, the entrance of the library was messy because of the remains of interior materials. During this period, many students complained about the inconvenience such as sound pollution which lasted all day long. The construction was conducted even during the class time, so students were forced to endure noises. The work for the outer walls was finally completed in December. Compared to the former image, it became much neater and fancier. Abrasion which had been mentioned by the students a lot disappeared as well.

The construction was not limited to the outer walls. Starting from August, the remodeling of the inside interior was carried out as well. Study rooms on the third floor and Electronic Information Office on the fourth floor was newly designed. For the 0 zone, lots of things have been changed. The 0 zone originally means the place where everyone can share: it contains the meaning of Young zone, Ozone (clean place) and Absent zone, and so forth. The place was aimed to provide a peaceful atmosphere with care and embrace. Suited to its meaning, eco-friendly decorations were added in the study rooms in the 0 zone. It makes the atmosphere calmer and more relaxing. Also, desks, chairs, walls, and partition were changed into new furniture. Everything is clean. Seats were divided more effectively, so individuals can concentrate on their own studies.

Electronic Information Office changed too. The wall is covered with eco-friendly decorations just like the 0 zone. There are multimedia production room, media watching section, and single studios where students can watch and edit videos. The Studio has state-of-the-art lights and cameras. Also, equipment such as PC is prepared to help students search academic electric data comfortably. The sections allow students to adapt to the present digital era.

 As mentioned above, the Central Library has been completely changed. Since the place is the center for the intellectual properties of UOS, the remodeling has a big significance. However, nowadays, because of COVID-19, the majority of students cannot even visit the campus. Although all students are in pitiful situations, when the day for recovering previous campus life comes, the changes of the Central Library must become a huge driving force for UOS students.

Heo Hyang-ki