National Central Library’s 2013-2019 Taiwan Reading Festival project has been chosen as winner of a 2020 Presidential Citation for Innovative International Library Projects by the Chicago-based American Library Association, according to the Ministry of Education May 22.
Organized by Taipei City-headquartered NCL under the MOE, the project titled “Igniting the Public’s Passion for Reading” integrated resources from New Taipei City-based National Taiwan Library, Taichung City-headquartered National Library of Public Information in central Taiwan as well local libraries in 22 cities and counties.
Over 100 publishers, reading groups, and cultural and educational institutions have also helped organize activities such as book donations and outdoor reading events during the festival held each December. According to the MOE, this strong public-private partnership helps shape the country’s literary landscape while enhancing Taiwan’s national competitiveness.
The project will feature in the July issue of American Libraries magazine along with the three other winners.
The award reflects global recognition of efforts to encourage good reading habits across Taiwan society, the MOE said, adding that this is the third time NCL has been recognized by ALA. Previous prizes were awarded following the institution’s establishment of Taiwan Resource Center for Chinese Studies in 2015 and the e-publication platform system in 2011.
Efforts boosting public interest in reading appear to be paying off as MOE statistics show the number of people visiting public libraries rose to over 100 million in 2019, up 24.82 percent year-on-year. The number of people borrowing books hit 22.95 million, up 5.9 percent from 2018, with a total of 81.3 million books taken out.
The ALA was founded in 1876 and is one of the world’s oldest and largest library associations. It launched the annual PCIILP in 2008 to recognize inventive projects demonstrating sustainability and potential to serve as a model for other libraries while contributing to international librarianship. (YCH-E)
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