The Library Situation: Busan English Library

I had an inkling that The Library Situation in Busan must be pretty good when coworkers that didn't strike me as particularly bookish asked the newbie me if I had been to the Busan English Library yet.  They spoke of their own visits.  They gave me directions.

I was all hmmmmmmmmm?! but my expectations were low.  In my mind was a sad-smelling little space about as big as a janitor closet equipped with a row of crumbling John Grisham paperbacks.

I couldn't have been more wrong, and I couldn't be happier about my wrongness.

It's a REAL library!  It's nice: Spacious, clean, quiet, plenty of seating, technology and loads of books for children, young adults and adults.  The Busan English Library is all that its name implies. 100% English books.

Of course, the BEL has been designed for the purpose of helping Korean kids get a leg up on English, but the very excellent by-product is that wayguk (foreigner) bookworms such as myself have a place to dwell. And dwell.  And dwell.  The operating hours are excellent: 9 am to 9 pm 7 days a week.  Closed only on national holidays.

Here's a video that shows the inside of the library.  See you in the Orange Corner!