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A Library Journey to Taiwan

November 16, 2017 | 3:26 am

Anthony Bahia and I have been privileged  to be part of  the four-day international library benchmarking program in Taiwan  sponsored  by  the  Philippine  Association  of  Academic  and  Research  Librarians, Inc. (PAARL) dubbed  as “PAARL’s Exploring   Possibilities  in  Taiwan”  held   on  October  20-23, 2016. The “Beautiful  Island  of  Taiwan”  is considered  as the  center for  technical excellence and one of the world’s top producers of computer technology. It is also  rich in  cultural  heritage sites. Taiwan is indeed a  perfect  venue  to  hold the  benchmarking  activity  which aimed to provide avenues that would  set international earmarks that can contribute to the improvement of library products  and  services. The  itinerary  included  five  well-selected   academic  and  research  libraries  and   cultural heritage   sites, such  as  National  Central   Library, National   Taiwan  University   Library, National   Taiwan   Normal University Library, Beitou Public Library, and New Taipei City Library.

On the first day, we visited the National Central Library, the oldest  library in Taiwan. Noticeably, an e-reading booth was set up in the main lobby of the library offering a variety of reading devices to experience the library’s abundant digital collections. It encouraged patrons to try e-reading  and see how  learning can be fun. E-newspapers, e-books, and e-magazines  were available  for viewing, as  well as several e-books  produced  by  National Central Library and the Taipei Cultural Center.

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The next site  we visited  was  the National Taiwan  University Library. Although it  is a university library, it is open to the  public. One  of  the  facilities  offered  that  caught  my  attention  was  the  installation  of equipment  for music listening in the Leisure Periodicals area. Users can browse through the catalogue on the  touch screen and  play any music they like. The site was voted to be named as “Music Bay” by the users.  In contrast to the usual reading areas full of heavily-laden shelves, the library created a unique environment for readers to enjoy a relaxing atmosphere.

Our  third  stop  was  the  National Taiwan Normal  University. The eight-story  semi-circular library building features Gothic style architecture. It is a modern building on a north-south axis, with a total floor space of more than 11,000 square meters. It has open stacks, space for 800 readers, and 36 study rooms.

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On  the  second day, we visited the Taipei Beitou Public Library. It was opened in Beitou Park in 2006 and is Taiwan’s first “green” library. Located in the lush green environment  of the  park, the magnificent wooden structure is quite a sight  to  see. It  was  the  first  building in  Taiwan  to receive the certification of “Green Building.” The sloping turf roof  preserves  humidity  and  moisture  and  drains water to recycling troughs. The recycled water is used to water plants and  flush toilets. The  roof  also  has  a  bunch  of  solar  panels  to  generate  electricity  in  the  building. The thoughtful design of large windows saves energy, allows natural light to substitute interior lighting, and reduces the need for fans and air-conditioning. Free Wi-fi is available in the library.

The  final  stop  of  the  tour  was the New Taipei City Library, which pioneered in serving 24 hours a day.  The library provided  diverse  reading  space  based  on  the  needs  of  different  kinds of readers, referring to it as a “Universal Design” so that all the patrons can  read  in  a  friendly  and  comfortable  environment. Even  the  disabled  readers, senior citizens, and readers with special needs would feel that they are reading at home in this library.

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Taiwanese libraries share similar fine features, such as the 24-hour self-service in returning and borrowing of library materials, reservation of library materials, study room and seats, self-service photocopying, and printing using copy card. Library  buildings  are  eco-friendly  and  energy-efficient. All  libraries  have  an  interactive  information  kiosk facility. Knowledge services are offered thru e-reading, digital reference  services  are  available  24 hours a day, and library  resources  are accessible via  mobile devices or apps. Rare collections, theses, and dissertations are digitized through  the “National  Digital  Library  of Theses  and Dissertations” or “Digital Archives” initiative  which  provides value-added  knowledge  services  for theses  and  dissertations, such as full text download for authorized users and online research capabilities for the public.

The  Romeo  P.  Ariniego  MD  Library  Services  plans  to  implement  a  similar  digitization  project  for  theses  and dissertations. It  aims  to  provide  an  archive  of  institute-wide research and make it easily available to support the teaching, learning and research of the academic  community. Being an active user of technology, RPAMDLS can also adapt  the  interactive or  touch screen  information kiosks of Taiwanese  libraries  to  inform users about the library policies    and    procedures,  floor   plan,  current    awareness    services   (CAS),  news,  announcements,  selective dissemination of information (SDI), circulation services, references services, and other library activities.

If  I  had  to  choose  a word  to  describe  the  whole  trip, it  would  be  overwhelming because honestly, it was. The libraries and cultural sites we visited were inspiring. I am very glad  to have been given  an opportunity to be part of this wonderful experience. I shall forever cherish this and hope that through this library benchmarking tour, I would be able to contribute to RPAMDLS’ vision of being the Institute’s   partner  in delivering  excellent  education, health care, research and community service to the community it serves.