The Digital Science Library has been striving to facilitate learning and foster a reading culture in KAIST.

On February 16, the library held the lecture titled “Power and Art” as the second lecture of the Culture Project Series, a series of lectures planned by the library in collaboration with the Academic Information Management Team. In succession to the first lecture which took place last semester, “Power and Art” covered topics in liberal arts, a field to which KAIST students are rarely exposed to. The lecturer Jung-ho Park, who is a renowned columnist, opera director and author of steady-selling books, spoke about the intricate relationship between art and authority throughout history and in our times as well. Various forms of art were considered comprehensively along with interesting stories of artists and cities.

In an attempt to provide a better variety of contents, the library has been increasing its collections. During the previous semester, it received book requests from students through holding the “Wish Your Booklist” event. The books can now be found in the library or on the web as e-books. Also, the library set up a map section, which provides touring maps, and a National Geographic section, which is located in front of the information desk on the second floor.

Additionally, the library now provides new online services such as Naxos, a classic music streaming service, and Q Master for improving academic English skills. Both services are provided in English, thus available for non-Korean users also.

Book review events have also been held by the library to encourage students to read. The library plans to keep holding these events monthly. Undergraduate and graduate students can participate by writing reviews on the books of the month and posting them on the library’s blog. Students who write the best reviews will be given prizes, which are books for the currently ongoing event that will continue until March 4.

For the students’ and faculty’s convenience, the library has extended its opening hours since February 1. While it used to stay open until 5 p.m. and 8.p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays respectively, it now opens until midnight on weekends as well as on weekdays.