• 2014-10-26

The day before NCL Director-general Tseng Shu-hsien was to sign an agreement with Leiden University in the Netherlands for a Taiwan Resource Center for Chinese Studies, she made a visit to the Amsterdam Public Library (Dutch: Openbare Bibliotheek Amsterdam, OBA), which was renovated by the former national architect of the Netherlands. There she gained new ideas on creative use of library space.

In 2012, OBA was selected as the Netherlands’ best library. It has a central library and 25 branch libraries, with the central library being established in 1919. It was renovated into a green library in 2007 by Dutch architect Jo Coenen.

The central library is located in a 10-storey building that boasts a reading room, as well as a theater that can seat 260 people. The balcony-styled top floor has a high class restaurant for patrons to eat at—completely shattering the traditional image that food and libraries don’t mix. The library also provides parking stalls for 2,000 bicycles, a very environmentally friendly concept.

In addition to providing services, OBA also host lectures, arts and photography exhibitions, piano performances, and other such cultural events. The fifth floor also has a broadcasting room. During Director-general Tseng’s visit, a recording session was going on. So not only could patrons enjoy the broadcast, but also see the face of the broadcaster. Library décor is a simple yet fashionable black and white, which blends well with the vaulted ceilings to give the library an expansive feel. Natural light let in via windows bathes the library in a cozy luminescence. Light is also used to separate different areas. This creates a relaxed atmosphere in which to enjoy a book or to gaze out the window at the scenic cityscape and natural beauty of the immediate river.

In the library there are two reading areas with two levels of circular shelving, as well as display cabinets that are updated periodically with new items. The books and periodicals section has publications in Dutch, English, German, French, and Spanish. The basement floor comprises the children section. Music lovers will also find an abundance of audiovisual material. Sitting on record-themed chairs, listening to music with earphones—it is as if the music comes alive.