Shortage of storage space in Korean libraries: Solutions centering upon hub-based collaborative repositories

Purpose ‐ The purpose of this article is to offer some considerations for the implementation of hub-based collaborative repositories. The current situation of Korean public libraries is to be examined, centering upon the issue of storage space, and possible solutions are to be presented. Design/methodology/approach ‐ A corroborative analysis is done to determine the seriousness of the problem and the plausibility of the assertion by looking only at the National Library of Korea and public libraries. Findings ‐ By the end of 2005 Korean public libraries as a whole had reached 92 percent capacity, which suggests that there is an immediate need to secure additional storage space. Library collection size increased at a rate of 11.5 percent over a period of ten years (1996-2005). Even if a more moderate rate of 7 percent is applied to projections for 2015 storage space we will exceeded by 38.9 percent and the ratio of shortage in storage space to storage limit is expected to amount to 82.1 percent. Originality/value ‐ This paper proposes the establishment of collaborative repositories, borrowing the principle of selection and concentration. The model for hub-based collaborative repositories is provided and the roles of the repository network are outlined. This will effectively increase the circulation turnover rate while reducing a user's opportunity costs. In the meantime, the National Library will be contributing to the country's decentralization and balanced national development and also increasing its own value.