Abstract

This study explored elementary school students’ experiences of using public libraries based on their narratives. It also aimed to interpret the underlying meanings of their images of public libraries and suggest appropriate service strategies for children. Twenty fifth and sixth grade students (10 per grade) from A Elementary School in City A, Gyeonggi Province, participated in the study. The narrative inquiry process followed the procedures of Clandinin & Connelly. The analysis and interpretation of the results were conducted using the open coding procedure of grounded theory proposed by Strauss & Corbin. This process subdivided and conceptualized meaning units, categorizing them into categories and themes. The results revealed that elementary school students’ impressions of public libraries encompassed emotional, functional, and architectural dimensions, with a focus on emotional experiences, life functions, and social relationships. Overall, the public library image was defined by 240 concepts, 59 categories, and 33 themes.