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Neutinamu Library is located in the city of Yongin, in the Gyeonggi suburbs of Seoul. Opened in 2000 in a basement apartment, it is a community library built on voluntary donations from local residents.
In the 1990s, the area went through a profound transformation – from a rural region into an urban district through massive construction. After the 1997 Asian financial crisis, it became a refuge full of makeshift housing for people who had lost their jobs or gone bankrupt. Crime, domestic violence and psychological pressure on children were all very high, the gap between rich and poor kept widening, and a whole string of social problems appeared – complete chaos.
So the people here really needed a place to nurture and shelter their souls. Children needed a refuge where they could play and grow up healthily. At the same time, that place also had to create opportunities for the rich, the middle class and the poor to mix without any discrimination.
Neutinamu Library was born to answer all of those needs.
Witnessing the realities of life, and thinking about the generation of children to come, Ms Soy, a resident who had grown up here, decided she had to do something. She herself had grown up with little money, few material things and few opportunities to study and grow; that made her all the more determined to do something for the place where she grew up.
Ms Soy has always held a simple belief that every child in the world deserves to be happy, and she founded Neutinamu Library to make that belief real. In Korean, Neutinamu means the zelkova tree (a hardwood tree), and this tree is the symbol of the village in Korean culture (much like the banyan tree at the village gate in Vietnamese culture).
At first the library was opened mainly for children, because she wanted to create a space like a small village where children had somewhere to read, so they would not have to go through the deprivation she once did. She hoped that through this place children would be exposed to colourful worlds that would awaken childhood dreams, nurture them, and spark curiosity and imagination to reach beyond what they already knew.
She never imagined the library would grow as large as it is today.
It started in a tiny basement among building sites, yet the library was hugely loved by residents. One look at the rows of slippers by the door shows just how warmly the community embraced this place (see photo). Unlike the image of a quiet library, the space here is always full of cheerful chatter and laughter. It is exactly this crowded, lively atmosphere that often surprises first-time visitors.
The library always welcomes everyone, regardless of region, gender or age, because Neutinamu believes that when people learn and read together, the community grows ever closer, so this is a space for everyone.
Interestingly, the children, even those who could not yet read, preferred coming to the library over going out to the park. At first the space was only for children, but gradually adults came too, not just to read but to join in and connect with the children.
The library went beyond its original purpose and became a place where people grow together, rediscover and reconnect with themselves, and develop together into a close-knit community.
The deeper reason for opening a library for children came from a past experience of Ms Soy in Korea. Back then, more than 20 years ago, there was a rule that children were not allowed into public libraries. All of Seoul, and all of Korea, had only one library for children at the time. Ms Soy had wanted to take children into a library but was not allowed, and had to go to bookshops just to find and buy books for them.
And so the Neutinamu children's library was born, so that children could come and read.
To everyone's surprise, once the library opened, not only children but adults too came to read, to reflect, to talk and to make friends. Witnessing those everyday scenes, Ms Soy felt incredibly lucky to work at the library. She has always believed that even a single book, once given, can change a person's destiny.
The greatest success of Neutinamu Library is that it broke the old image of a library. From 400 public libraries at the time, there are now more than 1,000 libraries of this new kind. People found it unfamiliar but were also extremely excited by it.
One of the library's biggest efforts is to break down every barrier, visible or invisible. Neutinamu tries to remove barriers of language and mobility to be as inclusive as possible. Braille books were created so that blind parents can look after their children while reading and telling them stories. The design around the library also lets wheelchair users move around easily. The library is thus designed to be a place without barriers and without prejudice, where everyone together creates a real community.
The two core values the library always pursues are freedom and dignity. This is not a school, and not a place to judge one another. Instead, we want to create hope.
The library is a space to spark curiosity and critical thinking. By encouraging people to ask questions and listen to one another, we help them shift their personal perspective and encounter new points of view. When people can communicate freely, resonance and empathy arise, creating rich and deep interactions. This is a place where people encourage and inspire one another to learn and to look for better solutions. The ultimate goal is to create a world where everyone can enjoy life and dare to dream.
In terms of model, this was initially a private library (run with Ms Soy's own money), yet it operated for the community, so even without a fixed income Neutinamu still had to cover a lot of costs.
To solve this, after three years of operation the library set up a nonprofit public foundation in 2003. Under Korean law, establishing a foundation is a mandatory condition for receiving donations. Thanks to this foundation, the library can cover its running costs through community support.
The foundation runs entirely on community support, which is quite different from government grants or subsidies. Precisely because it comes from everyone chipping in, every hour and every minute of the library's operation is built on that affection and help.
To thank those who have walked alongside it, Neutinamu has a commemorative board. The names of regular supporters and major contributors are printed with honour on the books. New supporters have their names written on small plaques. To date, more than 1,000 people have joined hands to support the library. Neutinamu calls itself a "Private–Public Library" – a space initiated privately but serving, and belonging to, the community.
Thanks to so much support, by 2007 Neutinamu was able to open a new, more spacious branch. The library truly is a shared home, where some people have been involved for a very long time and are now elderly themselves. They are living proof of the strength and meaning of the community that Neutinamu has built together with its neighbours.
We are living in an era of uncertainty. AI is reshaping the labour market, climate change threatens the planet, and social upheavals make the future harder to predict than ever. The knowledge we once had and the rules we once believed in no longer seem enough to guide us into the future. Amid this anxious and uncertain reality, we need a place to pause, to question, and to search together for a new path. Neutinamu has transformed itself to meet that urgent need of our time – a new kind of library that overturns every assumption about a traditional library.
The library's mission is to create an environment where important questions can arise naturally from everyday life, and the library is the place that drives the process of finding answers to those important questions. Neutinamu's philosophy is very clear:
"A library is not a place that gives answers, but a place that guides and supports you on the journey of finding them. That journey begins with facing questions that truly awaken the desire to explore. Perhaps, then, the role of the library is to create an environment in which questions tied to real life are awakened."
Practical questions you might ask yourself include: "I've just started a small eatery, but it doesn't make much profit. Should I just go back to a regular job?", "I want to bring my mother home from the nursing home to care for her better – is there a way I can do this well?", "I'm growing a few vegetables at the weekend, but nothing comes of it. How can I learn this skill?"...
Answering questions like these is not easy, and no single book can do it. And this is what makes Neutinamu unique: the way it builds its collections. Instead of classifying materials by field such as humanities, science or history, it starts from the questions and problems we all face every day, like those above. Collections are formed around themes that can help people answer the questions they care about. For example, to answer the questions above, collections might be built around:
And the materials are not limited to books. Each collection is a rich compilation of articles, academic research, documentaries, laws, websites, and even records of community activities. Everything is gathered so that people can explore the world together, solve their own difficulties and puzzles, or work towards building a better world. In this way, the library enters the life of the community more deeply and creates real value.
A small group of people who want to read a particular book is formed. They then take turns reading the book passage by passage, section by section. As they go, the whole group discusses, comments, analyses and dissects the book together. At that pace, it can take the group more than a year to finish a single book together.
This idea also helps reshape and reimagine the process and work of reading. Reading is usually an individual matter, but when it is opened up to a group, the richness of ages, experience, knowledge and expertise contributes deeply to everyone's understanding of the book being read. It is this diversity and richness that can provide practical wisdom for each person to face the problems of life. This not only deepens understanding of the book, but also binds the community together and raises collective intelligence.
Beyond this, the library has many other small groups that operate according to needs and purposes that emerge in the community, so the activities here are very diverse. One group learns to sew. Another collects books, newspapers and letters.
This is where community members sit down together for a dialogue on a topic suggested by the library itself. The forum's principle is very special: participants are not aiming for a single conclusion or clinging to personal opinions. Instead, the goal is to practise deep listening, trying to understand thoughts and ideas different from one's own.
Through these conversations, the library becomes a repository of the community's living knowledge too – experiences, news and stories that cannot be found in books.
Recognising that not everyone has the time or means to come to the library, Neutinamu actively lives out its "open library" philosophy by taking books to the public. Neutinamu regularly goes to different places such as schools, local shops, community events and parks to bring books to more people.
The most striking initiative is setting up free bookshelves right in busy subway stations. At first there were many worries that books would go missing. Yet after more than a decade of persistence, the model has proven successful beyond expectations. Not only has the stock of books remained stable, the library has also received countless messages of encouragement from residents, showing their appreciation and support for this meaningful community activity.
The most groundbreaking of all is the "Citizen's Lab" model, a space where people do not just read or listen, but are empowered to directly create, experiment and produce solutions to real problems. The library proudly shares that it "grows through failures", creating a safe, inclusive environment where anyone, whatever their economic or social circumstances, is free to experiment. Tools and equipment can be borrowed and taken home, just like a book. If anyone in the community has an idea, they can write a proposal and call on others to take part. This is where the value of knowledge is actively created, turning the library into a true creative incubator for the community, a place that nurtures solutions to the community's practical problems.
Some initiatives typically adopted in the community include urban gardening and a project to revive broken items… everyday experiments are encouraged to change the way the community lives together.
As artificial intelligence (AI) and technology advance by leaps and bounds and affect every profession, Neutinamu believes that core human skills become more important than ever. This is "Human Literacy", which includes these foundational skills:
Recognising this, the library defines its role as a space to nurture and promote these foundational skills. The library's top goal is to build a strong community where people can connect, collaborate and work together.
To realise that goal, Neutinamu also harnesses the power of technology, not to replace people, but to serve the community by recording and archiving all of its activities and discussions, thereby building a precious treasury of collective knowledge.
In the beginning, the library did not attract children by telling them they "had to read". Instead, we created a space that was appealing in an indirect way and awakened their natural curiosity.
The main approach was to turn the library into a place to play and connect. The invitation to children was not "come and read", but "come here to play and chat with other kids". Many children initially came just to play while their parents sat reading. Gradually, seeing that adults also had classes, various activities and their own reading groups, the children became curious about this space and came on their own initiative more and more.
Alongside this, the library actively engaged children through many practical activities. For example, the librarians regularly read stories to the children and invited them to take part directly in the library's work as real members: from sticking on classification labels and numbering books to cleaning the library space together.
Being given this responsibility had a surprising effect. It not only made the children feel they were an important part of the library, but also sparked their creativity. Many children invented new games out of those simple everyday tasks.
In short, the library's secret is to create a nurturing space for everyone, where children are free to play, connect and feel valued.
In the age of AI, when information is readily available and almost unlimited, the role of the library is not only not lost but has become more necessary than ever. It is true there is a paradox: as technology advances, young people may turn to books less. However, the issue is not about competing with AI, but about affirming the unique value that only people and community can bring.
The difference between "getting an answer" and "reading together"
Receiving information from ChatGPT or Google is a passive, one-way and individual process: you ask, the AI answers based on input data and interaction history. Reading a book together, by contrast, is a completely different experience. It is an interactive, multi-directional and deeply communal process. When we read together, we do not just take in information, we also:
Community – the most important "filter" in an age of information overload
AI and the Internet bring two big problems: ever more information, and, because there is so much, useful information risks being drowned out. This is where community is the most effective "filter". Instead of leaving each individual to swim alone in a sea of information, community helps us sift, verify and find truly valuable knowledge together. We do not need to depend on AI; we can use it as a tool and rely on collective strength to master information.
The library's new role in the age of AI
Our view is: "A library is not just a place to borrow books; it is a space where people share stories, ask questions together, and look for alternatives."
Today's world is full of uncertainty, with challenges humanity has never faced before. What we learned at school is no longer enough for a lifetime. Life expectancy keeps rising, and life after retirement is still very long. School does not teach us how to share that long life with family and neighbours.
This is exactly when the library steps into its new role: becoming a space for lifelong learning, nurturing the foundational skills that AI cannot replace. It is where we learn how to think, how to connect, and how to build a better life together in a world that never stops changing.
I think the most important question you should spend time reflecting on is: "Why does it have to be a library?"
Starting a "library movement" does not necessarily mean building a new building. You could just as well get involved in improving existing public libraries, organising gatherings, reading together or volunteering there.
The reason I ask about your motivation is that the answer will determine the form of the space you create. There are many barriers to opening a library that meets official standards. As Lucie shared, when she opened libraries for children in Hanoi and Saigon, she ran into difficulties with the authorities because they did not meet the standards, the books were old and unappealing, and they could not even be borrowed to take home.
So perhaps we need to rethink the definition of a "public library". It does not have to be an officially registered institution.
Instead of a large library, you could start from a small space at home – just a room, or a corner of the living room. You could open only once a week, for just a couple of hours. Or you could even turn your dining table into a meeting point, invite neighbours to bring books they want to share, and together create a "community bookshelf". A "bookshelf" like that can sometimes fully meet your goal.
Our organisation, Neutinamu, saw the huge potential of spaces like these. That is why we set up the foundation and have pursued the library movement to this day.
The most important thing that makes a library is not the walls or the bookshelves, but what happens between the people who meet there. A library is not a building; it is a space that inspires and lifts the spirit.
A community library does not need to be large. It does not require a fixed location or a huge number of books. Instead, its essence lies in knowledge, information, people, and an attitude of living fully. It is a place where the "noise of life" is valued and celebrated, rather than asked to be silent.
"Community library" can be understood not as a noun for a specific type of library, but as a term describing its function and spirit.
The core feature of a community library is the self-determination of the community itself. Instead of the government, an owner or corporations deciding the content, the way it operates or what is allowed, the participants themselves discuss and choose together which questions and "visions" they want to explore through books.
So instead of asking "what is a community library?", the more important question may be "Why do you want to open a library for your community?". The answer to that question will shape your own unique space.
A few libraries I know in Saigon:
🌱 Register here: https://nas.io/vcilmembers/events/nepmoi4
⏰ Time: 19:00, July 17, 2025
🎉 Format: Online via Zoom
✨ Language: English (Vietnamese translation available)
When you think of a library, what comes to mind?
A room full of books, tall shelves reaching high, where you must walk softly, speak so quietly you might as well be silent, like in a temple?
Yes – for a long time, we've imagined libraries this way. A solemn, quiet place, meant only for reading and storage.
But Neutinamu Library tells a completely different story.
Founded in 1999, Neutinamu is not just a library. It is a movement for transformation – a major shift in how we think about libraries. It is open and welcoming to anyone – to read books, to have conversations, to connect, or even to rest. You can borrow as many books as you wish, without limits.
At Neutinamu, you see children absorbed in reading, adults chatting together, people sharing meals in the community space. Plastics are collected for recycling, handmade items are created in the maker space – things that once seemed impossible happen every day.
Neutinamu goes far beyond the traditional library model – it is an open learning space, a community anchor, and a center of vibrant social activities.
Most remarkably, Neutinamu is neither a public library nor a private library in the conventional sense. It is a "commons library" – built, managed, and operated by the local community working together. It belongs to no individual and is not controlled by the state. This collective ownership is what makes Neutinamu's story truly magical.
For over two decades, the library has received support from more than 1,450 contributors. Today, roughly 500 people each month contribute their efforts to sustain it, with an annual budget exceeding 800,000 US dollars.
The library primarily hires local residents and holds regular Thursday meetings to discuss book selections and activities aligned with community needs. Library staff constantly interact directly with residents and members to understand current concerns and pressing issues.
Beyond collecting books, the library gathers diverse materials like pamphlets, articles, DVDs, essays, audio recordings – enabling everyone to explore and discover their own answers.
Notably, many shelves here are not organized by traditional academic categories, but instead by contemporary social questions relevant to community life. Material selection is based on topics the community cares about, featuring diverse resources like books, newspapers, documentaries, DVDs – reflecting the complexity and vibrancy of social life, rather than following conventional classification systems.
Neutinamu embodies David Bollier's definition of Commons: "a shared resource governed by the community of users according to their own rules and norms."
To better understand this remarkable story – how a library can become the soul of a community, a place where people meet, share, and together nurture knowledge and humanity – at Nếp Mới #4, we will meet and hear directly from Park Young-Sook – founder and director of Neutinamu Library.
Park Young-Sook (박영숙) is the founder and current Director and Chair of the Board of Trustees of Neutinamu Library in Yongin, South Korea. She began the library idea in 2000 when she used her personal savings to buy 3,000 books to open "Neutinamu Children's Library" in a basement space of an apartment complex, aiming to provide a welcoming reading and learning space for local children. Since then, Neutinamu has grown into a non-profit library, becoming a community hub with collaborative workspaces, maker space, and a rooftop garden that encourage creativity and learning through hands-on experience.
In 2003, she founded the Neutinamu Library Foundation (formerly the Neutinamu Cultural Foundation) to expand library culture and support other small private libraries. She has coordinated numerous public-private partnership projects, served on the Library Policy Committee appointed by South Korea's President (2011–2013), and held advisory and board roles at various social organizations. She is also the author of works including "My Child Reads" (2006), "Right to Dream" (2014), and "We Won't Serve Users as Kings" (2014), expressing the philosophy that "a library is an open learning space where people meet, exchange ideas, and grow together."
A monthly learning space to co-create a new civilization
Vcil Community aspires to build a new civilization centered on wellbeing and regeneration. To realize this vision, we encourage rethinking how we live, act, and imagine the future.
Drawing inspiration from the word "Nếp" in Vietnamese – which embodies the inherent patterns of culture, habits, and daily living – Vcil Community initiates Nếp Mới to create a nurturing space for new ways of living: prioritizing sustainable happiness and regenerating true wealth. This is a community space that helps everyone recognize and shed outdated patterns, absorb collective wisdom, and reimagine how we live, connect, and learn.
Each month, we will explore different topics – from Right Livelihood and cooperative models in Vietnam, to alternative economic and education models... Each month, Nếp Mới invites scholars, experts, and experienced practitioners to share on essential topics relevant to our lives. Participants will have opportunities to dialogue with them to deepen their understanding, find solutions to personal or collective issues, or begin meaningful work. More than just conversation, Nếp Mới is a space that nurtures reflection, promotes collaboration, and provides practical tools for our whole community to move toward a regenerative and flourishing future.
Nếp Mới is a monthly activity exclusively for Vcil Community members – to learn, grow, transform, and commit together. This is not merely a place to receive knowledge, but a space that cultivates "new patterns": new perspectives, new feelings, and new actions, to collectively create a world we long to belong to.
Fanpage: Vcil Community
Phone/Whatsapp/Zalo: (+84) 918580257 (Trinh Thai)
Email: vcil.group@gmail.com
New Ways will invite scholars, experts, and people with practical experience to share about essential and familiar topics in life
