"Read Me a Book at the Library" Campaign (Yellow Apron Project)

Abstract

In celebration of the ‘2012 Year of Reading’ in Korea, the Campaign was launched to help children and young adults to foster lifelong reading habit and reading ability. In 2015, the Library carried out the Campaign in the form of one to one reading involving young adults as volunteers, namely as the ‘Yellow Apron Project’. The children would come up to young adults who are wearing the yellow aprons and ask them to read books for them, which was well accepted by the parents. Thanks to the Project, it is easy for the children to have someone read to them at the library; (1) choose a book (2) look for the yellow apron (3) say “Read me a book.” to the yellow apron, and he or she will read you the book. At the end of 2015, in cooperation with the Korea Federation of Banks, 4,000 of yellow aprons and guidebooks were provided to 380 libraries - including public libraries, school libraries nationwide. The ‘Yellow Apron’ has become the symbol of ‘who reads books to others.’ In 2016, NLCY is planning to distribute another 5,000 of yellow aprons and guidebooks to libraries nationwide, while working on a promotion plan to push forward the Project to a national level, involving not only young adults but also parents as well. To publicize the Project, the NLCY will continue to post the photos of the ‘Yellow Apron Project’ on the NLCY website and publish them in the NLCY publications.