Icheon City Librarian Kim Eun-mi Selected as First Librarian for 'Master of Local Administration' Award

[Suwon Ilbo = Reporter Eom In-yong] Kim Eun-mi, a librarian administrator at the Icheon City Library, has been selected as the 15th 'Master of Local Administration'—the first librarian in the civil service to receive this honor—and has received the Prime Minister's Award.

The awards ceremony was held on December 31 of last year at the Government Complex Seoul, with a total of eight recipients selected, including one recipient of the Presidential Medal, one recipient of the Prime Minister's Award, and six recipients of the Ministry of Interior and Safety Minister's Award.

The 'Master of Local Administration' is a system for discovering and honoring civil servants who have achieved outstanding results in administrative work. Kim Eun-mi, the librarian administrator, received this honor in recognition of her contributions to promoting reading and strengthening citizens' liberal arts capabilities through policy implementation and library service innovation.

Kim Eun-mi, the librarian administrator, is responsible for establishing and operating public libraries and small libraries in Icheon City, and has worked to expand the foundation for regional reading and improve access to culture.

In particular, in 2025, through the opening of the 'Big Moon Small Library,' 'Icheon Municipal Seo-hee Library,' and 'Seolbong Park Smart Library,' the reading environment within residents' living areas has been further expanded.

Additionally, during the COVID-19 pandemic, she operated the online reading café 'A Library in My Room' to support non-face-to-face reading activities, presenting a library service model suited to the changing environment.

In addition, through reading culture promotion projects such as the selection of 'This Year's Smart Books,' the 'Writers' Contest,' and the 'Icheon City Reading Club Festival,' she has contributed to expanding the library beyond a simple reading space to a regional cultural hub. She has also led the initiative to open the nation's first bachelor's degree program in library and information science, working to foster professional personnel and strengthen educational infrastructure.

Meanwhile, this award represents the first case in which a public library librarian in the civil service has received official recognition for achievements in the field of local administration, and is being evaluated as a meaningful accomplishment that demonstrates the expansion of the administrative and professional roles of librarians.

Kim Eun-mi, the librarian administrator, stated, "With this award as an opportunity, I will expand the role of libraries so that more citizens can easily access reading and cultural activities," and added, "I will continue to make efforts to become a library that grows together with the local community."