Library roundup

One of the trends we have noticed here at the library is an increase in demand for Korean popular media. In terms of music, K-Pop is some of the most listened to music in the country with all kinds of folks looking for music by groups like BTS, Stray Kids, or Blackpink. The American movie “K-Pop Demon Hunters” is one of the most popular movies from last year. Also with movies, Korean/Hollywood co-productions like “Snowpiercer” and “Mickey 17” have been mainstream successes.

Here at the library, we love seeing American audiences broaden their cultural horizons and explore international works. To that end, we have a display in our adult section for “Beyond K-Pop” with a focus on Korean literature and culture. We’d like to highlight a few of those items on display.

“Hallyuwood” by Bastian Meiresonne is an expansive guide to Korean cinema from its earliest beginnings in 1903 to streaming hits like Okja and Squid Game. Meiresonne breaks the history down into several eras, highlighting successful and historically significant films. If you want to explore the world of Korean films beyond titles like “Parasite”, this book can expand your horizons. We’d also like to direct our patrons to the YouTube channel @KoreanFilm, which is run by the Korean Film Archive, and hosts over a hundred classic Korean films, legally and with English subtitles.

If your interests lie more with cuisine, “Koreaworld” by Deuki Hong & Matt Robard explores the world of Korean food as well as Korean-inspired dishes from America and around the world. The book has countless recipes from street food to barbecue to coffee to cake, all accompanied by beautiful photographs. But “Koreaworld” is more than a cookbook, it also shares photos and history of the people surrounding the food culture and touches on modern Korean history and how it is reflected in the cuisine.

If you’re looking for a title with cozier vibes, another book on display is “Soyangri Book Kitchen” by Kim Jee Hye. This novel focuses on a café in a quaint village outside of Seoul where the titular Soyangri Book Kitchen, a combination restaurant and bookstore. Over the course of the story, a variety of individuals find their lives transformed by the healing power of books as they visit the Book Kitchen.

Another service the library offers is Mango Languages, a language learning app that is generally considered to be better than alternatives like Duolingo. Mango is completely free with your library card and can open the doors to learning new languages like Korean!

Finally, we’d be remiss to mention that the library is hosting a Lotus Lantern Workshop with the Korean Spirit and Culture Promotion Project on May 19 at 6 p.m. While the program is already full, you are welcome to sign up for the waitlist in case something becomes available and let us know how strong the interest is in Korean.