• 2024-05-03

As an important platform for international exchange in Taiwan, NCL planned a special area at the 2024 Taipei International Book Festival from February 20^th to 25^th, 2024. Under the theme: “Reading Around the World: Showcasing Taiwan to the World at NCL,” the exhibit showcased NCL’s achievements in recent years toward “expanding international exchange, and broadening global influence,” highlighting Taiwan’s achievements in academic publishing, cultural relic collections, and citizen literacy and showcasing these achievements to the world. On February 20^th, the opening day of the exhibition, Deputy Minister of Education Ming-yu Lin, several foreign ambassadors and consulate representatives based in Taiwan, and more than thirty members of the domestic literature, education, and publishing industries attended the opening ceremony to express their support. The head of the diplomatic corps in Taiwan, Ambassador Andrea Bowman of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, was also invited to give remarks on behalf of the countries in attendance.

NCL Director-General Han-ching Wang expressed that NCL has long played a role as a guiding force for the development of Taiwan’s intellectual power by collecting and preserving national documents, preserving Taiwan resources, and promoting reading and research culture. However, NCL is not only the national library of Taiwan, it is also a vital platform for the exchange of knowledge between Taiwan and the world at large. In particular, during the tenure of former General-Director Shu-hsien Tseng, NCL established 47 in-person Taiwan Resource Centers for Chinese Studies (TRCCSs) at renowned academic institutions around the world, one Taiwan Academic Digital Resource Center (TADRC), as well as 16 “Taiwan Corners.” In addition, she organized the participation in international academic groups by several Taiwanese institutions, and held a variety of academic events, solidifying Taiwan’s presence on the international academic stage, and doing so unceasingly even throughout the pandemic. Furthermore, interactions among Taiwan-based institutions have been strengthened through events like the Taiwan Reading Festival and various language and cultural activities, fostering mutual understanding between Taiwan and other countries and showcasing their respective cultural richness. These efforts were commended by Lithuania’s Speaker of the Seimas Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, during her visit to Taiwan. These numbers represent the influential dissemination of Taiwan's academic research achievements and publishing culture, which showcase Taiwan to the world. Simultaneously, these projects enable Taiwan to gain insights into the evolution of various civilizations throughout the world, and establish enduring and stable partnerships that transcend geopolitical, political, cultural, and economic constraints.

This year also marked the first time that the International Seminar for East Asian Library Professional Librarians was held in conjunction with the Taipei International Book Festival, inviting foreign library professionals to Taiwan in order to gain a deeper understanding of Taiwan’s publishing channels. The booth at the Taipei International Book Exhibition, was given the title, “Reading Around the World: Showcasing Taiwan to the World at NCL” and included the following seven exhibit areas, “Taiwan Reading Festival,” “Promoting Reading Marketing among Consulate Offices in Taiwan,” “Promoting International Publishing of Ancient Texts,” “Treasures from Overseas Exhibitions,” “Guiding Libraries to Become Platforms for International Knowledge and Cultural Exchange,” “Participation in International Academic Groups,” and “Expanding Collaborative Bases Abroad, Increasing Knowledge Influence throughout the World.” These areas present their themes with both data and images, complemented by a prize drawing for replica publications of rare books from the library’s collection. In addition, on the afternoon of February 23^rd, the Goethe-Institute Taipei, a long-time NCL friend and partner, held an event entitled: Appointment with a German Hairdresser: Tell Me a Story While I Cut Your Hair” at NCL’s C1032 booth.