Basic Analysis of the Correlation between the Accessibility and Utilization Activation of Public Libraries in Seoul: Focusing on Location and Subway Factors

Abstract

In the past, the utilization rate of public libraries in Seoul could be estimated based on their accessibility. However, several issues emerge if we apply this correlation to the present day. Therefore, we re-examined the causal relationship between accessibility and the utilization rate of public libraries to provide directions for improving the use of public libraries in densely populated cities with growing cultural demand. After investigating the utilization rate of public libraries in Seoul from 2015 to 2019, the degree of utilization activation (DUA) was set as the dependent variable, and the integration of public libraries (derived by the quantification of urban space with space syntax) was set as the independent variable. A hypothesis was established to examine the causal relationship using statistical techniques. According to the results, the derived index values had independence and normality, but the accessibility index of public libraries did not exhibit a causal relationship with DUA. It was verified that the causal relationship recognized in the past (where accessibility was the sole predictor of utilization rate) cannot be applied to public libraries in the present day. Modern factors affecting DUA may involve either user motivation or the recent developments in public libraries compared to the past.