Dankook University (DKU) has wonderful libraries called Toegye Memorial Central Library on the Jukjeon Campus and Yulgok Memorial Library on the Cheonan Campus. Both libraries have many facilities, including a reference library and reading rooms. With the first midterm exam in 2024 approaching, let's take a look at the libraries on both campuses with the Dankook Herald (DKH).

▲ The Front View of Toegye Memorial Central Library (Photo from DKH)

   Located between Hyedang Hall and Beomjeong Hall, the Toegye Memorial Central Library is known for its academic resources and study facilities. The library features six reading rooms, including a graduate reading room, spread across the first and second floors. Additionally, the specialized Law Library functions as a branch library which offers a dedicated reading room with seating for 133 people. A noteworthy feature of the Toegye Memorial Central Library is the Dosan Lounge, which offers three meeting rooms, group activity spaces, and recreational facilities. As of May 2023, thanks to a partnership with the OTT platform ‘Wavve,’ students can now enjoy watching content using their school accounts right from the Dosan Lounge. The process is straightforward: simply connect to the Dosan Lounge WiFi and access Wavve. Since there is no elevator between the 2nd and 3rd floors, it is recommended to use the entrance near Hyedang Hall (Student Union) if you want to go to the 3rd floor of the library at the Humanities Hall. This is because the entrance near Hyedang Hall leads to the 3rd floor. For those seeking a quieter environment, the 4th, 5th, and 6th floors provide desks for studying without the need for a separate ticketing process. The desks near the windows are particularly spacious, comfortably accommodating two people, and each desk is equipped with a charging plug – a significant convenience for students.

▲ The Front View of Yulgok Memorial Library (Photo from DKH)

   Yulgok Memorial Library is located behind Art Hall A. Yulgok Memorial Library has two reading rooms, and is divided into the 1st reading room and the 2nd reading room. In the 1st reading room, around 30 seats are arranged on a relatively small scale for each area. The area is divided according to various purposes of use, such as a laptop available area and a graduate student-only area, so you can select and study in the area you want. The 2nd reading room offers a large study room. Although the area is not separated, there are numerous seats arranged, so there are many vacancies. Cheonan Campus has a separate reference library for the College of Medicine and the College of Dentistry. The library offers a reference section on the fourth floor for reading materials, while the fifth floor houses a restricted collection. Dankookians (Students of DKU) cannot access the restricted collection themselves. If you need a book from the restricted section, simply search for its location in the library catalog and ask a librarian to retrieve it for you. On the second floor of the library, there is a DYL lounge with 45 seats for self-study, rest facilities, and study rooms. Like Dosan Lounge, you can watch the OTT platform ‘Wavve’ on your school account. You can use it by connecting to DYL lounge Wi-Fi and accessing Wavve.

▲ Shortcut to the Yulgok Memorial Library - Entrance Next to the CU Convenience Store (Photo from DKH)

There is a shortcut to Yulgok Memorial Library, if you enter through the entrance next to the CU convenience store behind the pavilion, you can get into the building faster. Deciding between the 1st and 2nd reading rooms depends on your study style. The 1st offers a quieter, cozier atmosphere preferred by students seeking a peaceful environment. On the other hand, the 2nd provides a more spacious layout for those who value an open environment. Before entering the reading rooms with your ID card, there is a designated study area in the lobby. This open space allows for studying with some noise, unlike the silent reading rooms. It is perfect for group discussions or sharing study tips with friends, as long as noise levels remain reasonable. If absolute quiet feels overwhelming, the lobby study area can be a great alternative.

▲ Desk Equipped With a Charging Plug (Toegye Memorial Central Library, 4th Floor) (Photo from DKH)

   You can utilize our library more effectively with an application named ‘Seat Allocation System of DKU Library.’ Every Dankookian can access this app. After installing the application and logging in, you can see all seats in the reading rooms. Before going to the library, you can reserve your seat in advance. But you have to swipe your ID card at the library entrance within 5 minutes. Also, the library home page offers convenient access to free academic resources like DBPIA and Riss, which can be invaluable for finding reliable sources for your assignments. A lot of Dankookians are unaware of the valuable free online lectures available through the library website. It includes platforms like Hackers and Eduwill for various free online lectures and JukyeongYadoc for free TOPIK and many certifications prep materials. Lastly, you can also enjoy reading e-books for free. Through the library home page > Menu > Browsing > e-Book > ProQuest Ebook Central(PEC) shortcut, you can connect to PEC, a foreign e-book website. Besides PEC, there are a lot of website shortcuts offering free domestic and foreign e-books.

   By following these tips, the DKH hopes Dankookians can effectively utilize the library's resources and ace their upcoming midterms!