The National Taichung Library shapes up for the digital age
After work began on the construction of the new library, the director of the National Taichung Library became even busier, but he is also full of hope and confidence in the future prospects for the institution. “The National Taichung Library has moved to the point where it can reach the status of a great library,” says Su Chung.
The plans for the National Taichung Library’s new digital home have at their core the creation of a national-level digital library. However, it still remains to be seen whether the age-old habit of reading books printed on paper can be changed within the space of a few years.
Su says the new library will not neglect traditional books in the future but become a place where the concrete and the digital coexist. Paper books will remain an important element, but the number of digital resources will gradually increase.
Because digital resources exist as electronic files, they can be adapted in many ways. Apart from reading them on the computer, users can also project the contents to tell a story, or show them on screens of different sizes with accompanying touch screens and virtual sensors, change the pages, add annotations and links. All those methods go beyond the reading of paper books. Because of this, the new digital experience area will be the place for experiments and showcases of all kinds of possibilities for the digital book.
As long as the new building has not been completed yet, the National Taichung Library has decided to realize this kind of concept at a newly established digital experience area at the main hall on the first floor of the existing library.
This method can help readers to grow accustomed to the new way of reading and can show the way once the new building begins operating. It can also train the library staff to become more familiar with digitalized service. As soon as the new library is completed, the staff can immediately offer the most professional information, combine the new hardware with their service in a perfect way and shorten the time necessary for training on the new system.
At present, the National Taichung Library has already acquired numerous digital resources of various types. Through the Internet it offers 24-hour year-round service, digital resources including e-books, electronic databanks, digital learning materials and digital audiovisual resources. The library will at the same time also digitalize its valuable printed resources.
The library offers a wealth of content, disposing of everything it should have. Members of the public can now also immediately go online for free reading or to look up information.
More Info: http://www.taiwanheadlines.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=173732&CtNode=39
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