As a New Yorker you may avoid Midtown at all costs, but this may make you think twice about paying the neighborhood a visit: it’s home to NYC’s only Korean library!
It’s located in the Korean Cultural Center New York (KCCNY) and can definitely be hard to miss–that’s because the first two floors resemble an art gallery. But tucked away up on the third floor is where you can find the library.
The shelves are stocked with books in both English and Korean, and you can find anything from books about Korean culture and books to help you learn Korean to recipe books, manhwas, and webtoons.
Beyond the books they also have CDs and famous Korean films!
And the best part: it’s all essentially free!
You can borrow up to ten books and five CDs or/and DVDs at once for up to two weeks (CDs and DVDs are seven days). Just be sure to return them on time or you’ll get charged 25 cents per day for each item.
If you need some extra time, however, you can request to renew your book loan one time so long as it’s not on reserve for another borrower. Renewal requests can be made over the phone, in person, or online prior to the item’s due date.
The library is open to the general public and you can read more about it here.
Please note: the Korean library will be closed for renovations from August 27th to 31st as part of KCCNY’s ongoing efforts to improve their facilities and enhance visitors’ experience.
📍 122 E 32nd St, New York