A message reading, "It’s good to get caught in a sudden shower once in a while. It’s summer!" is displayed on the outer wall of the Seoul Metropolitan Library on Monday. (Yonhap) Seoul's public libraries are transforming into summer retreats this July and August, offering air-conditioned refuge from the heat alongside books and cultural programming.The Seoul Metropolitan Government said on Friday that 223 public and small neighborhood libraries, including Seoul Metropolitan Library, are participating in a two-month campaign called "Libraries Are Cool: Off & Library," featuring 1,665 programs of lectures, performances, exhibitions, hands-on activities and film screenings.Many libraries have designed their own offerings. Nonhyeon Munhwamaru Library in Gangnam-gu is running an indoor reading campground, while Dobong Children's Library in Dobong-gu hosts an outdoor book camp. Yongdap Library in Seongdong-gu welcomes children with a resort-themed photo zone.Some venues come alive at night. Nonhyeon Munhwamaru stays open until 11 p.m. for adults to read phone-free, and Eunpyeong District Library screens films on Friday evenings. Gwanak Central Library pairs stargazing with astronomy lectures on Thursday nights.The city framed the effort as part of a plan to turn libraries into cooling centers during extended heat waves, providing air-conditioning subsidies to public libraries across all 25 districts.