• 2025-10-13

On the afternoon of September 19, 2025, two representatives from Prix des Incorruptibles (PdI) in France—Ms. Karine Boyer, Head of PdI, and Mr. Arthur Habib Rubinstein, Head of Institutional and Academic Development—visited the National Central Library (NCL). They were accompanied by Ms. En-Chieh Sun from the Cultural Department of the French Office in Taipei. During their visit, they held an in-depth discussion with colleagues from NCL’s Business Development Division, Knowledge Services Division, Collection Division, Southern Branch Project Office, ISBN Center, and International Cooperation Division. The meeting was chaired by Deputy Director-General Chih-tsung Weng, representing Director-General Han-ching Wang, who extended a warm welcome to the distinguished guests from France.

Deputy Director-General Weng remarked that hosting representatives from Prix des Incorruptibles was a rare and valuable opportunity for the National Central Library to engage in meaningful exchange. Through this visit, NCL gained deeper insight into the association’s remarkable experience and achievements in promoting reading—particularly in encouraging children and young adults to develop a love for literature. This exchange provided important inspiration and guidance for NCL’s own reading promotion initiatives.

The National Central Library has long been dedicated to promoting reading among all citizens, firmly believing that reading is a key pathway to enhancing cultural literacy and fostering lifelong learning. The annual Taiwan Reading Festival, held every December, has become a nationwide celebration of reading, drawing participation from foreign representative offices in Taiwan. Notably, since 2020, the National Central Library has been honored with the American Library Association (ALA) International Innovative Library Award, a recognition that not only affirms Taiwan’s achievements in promoting reading but also attests to the island’s thriving and ever-growing reading culture.

In addition, the National Central Library actively promotes cross-sector collaboration, partnering with enterprises and government agencies to build a rich and sustainable reading ecosystem. Through the “Share Love through Reading” initiative, NCL has organized a variety of reading lectures and book donation activities, published Taiwan Publishing and Reading, and established the National Central Library Taiwan Publishing TOP1 Award. These initiatives aim to spark young people’s interest in reading, integrate reading into everyday life, and gradually foster a culture of reading among all citizens.

The guiding philosophy of Prix des Incorruptibles centers on promoting the development of children’s literature, with a particular focus on empowering children to choose their own books and fostering a spirit of democracy. The association organized France’s first literary prize voted on entirely by children, in which all award-winning titles are selected by young readers themselves—emphasizing both their autonomy in reading and the democratic values underlying the process. The program has an impressive scale, engaging around 750,000 children, with over 550,000 participating in the voting process. Approximately 15 percent of participating schools join voluntarily, involving nearly 38,000 teachers. This initiative aims to eliminate children’s resistance to reading, cultivate their interest and literary taste, and—through activities such as voting, discussions, and creative projects—guide them to better understand books while actively participating in the creative process.

It is worth noting that the Prix des Incorruptibles also runs a “Real-Time Writing” program, which allows children to participate directly in the creative process. Every two weeks, participants receive a new chapter of an unpublished book and have the opportunity to point out inconsistencies or errors in the author’s work. This interactive approach is particularly effective in engaging children who are typically reluctant readers, helping them build reading confidence through manageable portions of text and guiding them toward a sustained and enriching reading experience.

Another distinctive feature of Prix des Incorruptibles lies in its deep integration of democratic education. The award invites children to cast their votes at city halls, allowing them not only to take part in the decision-making process of book selection but also to experience firsthand how a democratic system functions. Mayors and local officials often attend these events in person, enabling children to genuinely feel their own importance and responsibility as members of society.

This exchange meeting not only allowed colleagues from the National Central Library to gain deeper insight into the innovative approaches of Prix des Incorruptibles in promoting reading, but also gave the two representatives a comprehensive understanding of NCL’s long-standing achievements in advancing reading across Taiwan. Deputy Director-General Weng noted that such exchanges offer valuable inspiration, and that NCL will continue to strengthen international collaboration—working with others to harness the power of books to promote a global culture of reading, sow the seeds of literacy in the hearts of more children, and create a richer and brighter future for the next generation.

After the discussion, colleagues from the International Cooperation Division and the Knowledge Services Division accompanied the guests on a visit to NCL’s Early Reading Literacy Center.