"Kaohsiung Public Library’s Mobile Libraries" was lined up at the square of the Main Library of Kaohsiung Public Library on Oct. 18, and the colorful painting with a touch of childlikeness on the body of the car was rather eye-catching, just like a large piece of installation art which highlighted the beauty of Kaohsiung Public Library. 12 Mobile Libraries would take the responsibility of implementing cultural equality policy and the providing the mobile library services, and it is rare that all the funds come from corporate donations, which proves the public welfare energy of Kaohsiung Public Library which integrates social resources after public corporatization.  Shi Zhe, the Deputy Mayor of Kaohsiung City Government, representatives of the 10 donating organizations and Ma Bo Xuan, a recipient of the "Love of Reading Award”, jointly announced the launch of the "Kaohsiung Public Library’s Mobile Libraries".

"Kaohsiung Public Library’s Mobile Libraries" were donated by Lions Club International District 300E1, Wah Lee Industrial Corp., Rotary Club of Kaohsiung Harbor City, Shen shui Guanyin Temple, the Dalin Refinery Plant of CPC Corporation, I Domain Industrial Co., Kuan Jui Refrigerating Equipment Enterprise Co., Verizon Construction Engineering, Chen Jhong-He Charity Foundation, and Lee Tai Tsung and Ko Pei-ru, who also attended the event. Ko Pei-ru, the representative of donors, is a long-time philanthropist and the strongest supporter of the Paperwindmill Theater. She hopes that the mobile libraries filled with children's fun will bring more spiritual resources to children together with the troupe in the future. Hong Ke-lun loves historical stories and is familiar with the Three Kingdoms series, and these historical figures have become the basis of his philosophy and mentor in dealing with people.

Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-Mai thanked the sponsors for their good deeds and wished that this love could be extended to readers of all races and ages; and the book borrow-direct fleet is loaded with knowledge and dreams to implement the mission of cultural and intellectual equality in every corner of Kaohsiung. Each mobile library cart is customized with a car paint, which shows the spirit of full originality and incorporates the social responsibility of each sponsor. The patterns and designs are all done by Kaohsiung's local designers and Kaohsiung Public Library's Books Sprouting Award-winning authors.

Ma Bo Xuan, a mixed-race Taiwanese and American student who won the "Love of Reading" award given by the Ministry of Education, is a regular patron of the Jiasian Branch. She witnessed the launch of "Kaohsiung Public Library’s Mobile Libraries" with many library users. She not only enjoys the variety of books available through the library, but also actively participates in the library's storytelling and science programs.

The Deputy Mayor Shi Sze emphasized that "Kaohsiung Public Library’s Mobile Libraries" are all donated by private enterprises and have not used the public sector's budget at all, which proves that Kaohsiung Public Library has made remarkable achievements in mutually benefiting social resources after transforming into the first publicly corporatized public library in Taiwan in 2017. At the end of 2019, Kaohsiung Public Library launched a public welfare fundraising program for mobile libraries, and fortunately the library received warm feedback from all walks of life, accumulating a total of 12 mobile library carts so far. Kaohsiung Public Library's public-private partnership spirit, like the "One Million New Books, One Generation of Love" project that created a buzz at the opening of the Kaohsiung Public Library in 2014, has enabled more businesses and citizens to participate in the city's reading movement, and we hope that today's launch ceremony will continue to spread the positive energy.

The mobile libraries look like walking artworks and combine various reading themes, such as the English train touring the national high school campus, the "Leaf Library" gateway activity for plant ecology observation, the Southeast Asia Mobile Library to relieve homesickness, the "Exhibition Hall Mind Charging Station", and the "Reading for the Public Good SDGs and ESG" environmental education platform. They have created elements of urban reading design in all aspects.

Wang Wencui, Director of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of Kaohsiung City Government, said that to create a "library without walls" was the original intention of Kaohsiung Public Library to establish the first mobile library circulation service in Taiwan in 2011, which connected 38 administrative districts, the Main Library and 60 branches in Kaohsiung and turned them into a large library, providing readers with the service of "borrowing from one place and returning to another", shortening the distance between urban and rural areas and extending the reach of the library. Since its establishment, the mobile libraries have made more than 20,000 trips, circulated 32 million books, and traveled more than 1 million kilometers, all of which are the accumulation of the energy for urban reading. "Kaohsiung Public Library’s Mobile Libraries" will continue to promote cultural equality, knowledge and art in the future.

The " Kaohsiung Public Library’s Mobile Libraries”were launched today. From left: Hong Ke-lun, General Manager of Verizon Construction Engineering, Ko Pei-ru, a personal donor of the bookmobile, Ma Bo Xuan, a recipient of the "Love of Reading" award, Ma Po Xuan's mother,  Shi Zhe, Deputy Mayor of Kaohsiung City, Wang Wencui, Director of Cultural Affairs Bureau of Kaohsiung City Government, and Lin Yicheng, acting director of the Kaohsiung Public Library.

The donors of the molie libraries gathered at the event.

The donors of the molie libraries gathered at the event.

Ko Pei-ru, one of the donors of mobile libraries.

Hong Ke-lun, General Manager of Verizon Construction Engineering.

Ma Bo Xuan (middle), a mixed-race Taiwanese and American student who won the "Love of Reading" award.

12 mobile libraries parked in front of KPL.