The Republic of China Library Association was represented at the 85th World Library and Information Congress of the International Federation of Library Association and Institution and the 35th Pre-Conference of Library & Research Services for Parliaments in Athens from August 20-30, 2019. The delegation was led by the Director General Shu-hsien Tseng of the National Central Library.
Through the assistance and arrangements of the Taipei Representative Office in Greece, the National Central Library (NCL) of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Director-General Shu-hsien Tseng presented a selection of books from Taiwan to the Municipal Libraries of Athens on August 30, 2019. The presentation ceremony, held at the Central Library of the Municipality of Athens, was hosted by Director Vasiliki Lampri who accepted the gifts of books on behalf of the Athens Municipal Libraries system.
For this time, the NCL is donating a carefully-chosen set of children’s picture books and general interest books by Taiwanese publishers, available in either Chinese or in Chinese-English bilingual formats. They include Taiwanese authors’ original works of literature, works by numerous internationally-renowned leading Taiwanese children’s authors and illustrators, as well as meticulously edited Chinese language learning guides. They cover a wide range of topics, including: humanities and the arts, parent-child relationship, popular science, Chinese learning, and introduction to Taiwan’s rich culture and history.
At the ceremony, the NCL Director-General Shu-hsien Tseng emphasized the importance of cultivating Chinese learning by engaging reading at the daily level, and she reiterated that learning about Taiwan can be an important gateway to improving Chinese reading ability. Dr. Tseng extends her warm wish for building long-term relationship between the NCL and the Athens Municipal Libraries in the future, and hope that the two can work together to inspire Athenian readers and especially children to develop interest in reading.
