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Busan Library to Offer Online Access to 2025 Busan Studies Collection and Curation Outcomes through “Memories of Busan”

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Busan Library announced that it is making 1,868 key Busan Studies records collected and curated this year available online through “Memories of Busan,” the Busan Studies digital archive system.

“Memories of Busan” is a platform that preserves and shares key records and everyday cultural history materials that reflect Busan’s unique identity. It currently offers a total of 5,228 records contributed by 59 institutions and individuals, including the Nakdong Cultural Center.

The 1,868 Busan Studies records newly released online include 748 publications, 25 classical documents, 3 maps, 651 photographs, 10 videos, and 21 documents.

Key items include:

• ●Busan-related film photographs donated by the late Hong Young-chul, former Director of the Korean Film Archives Research Institute

• ●Village, street, cultural customs, and industrial landscape photographs of Busan taken by writers Moon Jin-woo and the late Hwang Sung-jun

• ●The rare volume “Joseon Railway History, Volume 1,” from the Busan Library collection

• ●Oral histories documenting the region’s historical and everyday life

• ●Busan-related exhibition catalogues and research series

• ●Busan Municipal News and legislative activity newsletters containing local public information

• ●Local cultural newsletters and regional cultural journals

In particular, this year’s notable achievement was the large-scale acquisition of photographic archives through collaboration with the Busan Modern & Contemporary History Museum. Busan Library developed a digital repository (archive) for the museum’s photo collection, enabling the museum to expand online access and utilization without incurring separate platform development costs. At the same time, Busan Library strengthened the content base of “Memories of Busan” by securing a substantial volume of valuable photographs documenting modern and contemporary Busan.

Additionally, through the “Busan Studies Key Records Cataloging and Database Construction Service” conducted this year, the foundation was laid for systematic management of region-based records. A total of 845 key records held by cultural centers across 16 districts and counties were cataloged to improve the archival management system, and 108 analog records previously stored in the repository were digitized to enhance accessibility and usability.

“Memories of Busan” is freely accessible to all citizens through its website (library.busan.go.kr/archive/index.do). The platform provides catalog information and original files of key Busan Studies records, and also offers e-book formats to improve user convenience.

Park Eun-ah, Director of Busan Library, stated, “We will continue to discover and collect key Busan Studies records so that ‘Memories of Busan’ becomes a representative platform that helps citizens better understand the history and everyday culture of our city,” adding, “By systematically archiving important regional historical materials and expanding cultural engagement opportunities, we will further strengthen our role as a library specializing in Busan Studies.”