• 2020-02-10

On December 31, 2019, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Culture held a press conference, hosted by National Central Library, on a Trial Implementation of Public Lending Right. It was heldat NCL’s exhibition hall. In attendance were those who had given input into andhelped develop the trial system, such as scholars, publishers, and representative authors, representatives from the library association, officials from local departments of cultural affairs, and personnel from public libraries. It also attracted the attention of media representatives from almost 20 different organizations.

When the press conference started, a videowas shown explaining the rules of Public Lending Right. It outlined the originsof Public Lending Right and its implementation in various countries, as well as the promotion process and system and the way it could be implemented in Taiwan.Then, the Minister of Education Wen-zhong Pan and the Minister of Culture Li-chiun Cheng both spoke, explaining the meaning and significance of this trial implementation, as well as the need for reading promotion and cultural creations.Following their remarks, the chairman of China Times Publishing Co. Cheng-min Chao was invited to speak on The Core of Public Lending Right: Remuneration to Creators and Publishers. Children’s illustrator Chun-yen Tsao and Writer Yu-huiLiao also shared their hopes for this trial run and its influence on publishersand creators.

After the press conference, the two ministers and those in attendance participated inan opening ceremony marking the kick-off of the new initiative. Dignitaries usedfive watering cans to water five large books. As they were watered, five flowers grew out of the books, symbolizing the gestation and fruition of PublicLending Right in Taiwan. By raising Public Lending Right to the status of anational government policy, it achieves the three aims of realizing the spiritof libraries, encouraging creative works and publishing, and ensuring therights of creators.