Kaohsiung Public Library (KPL) has transformed into an administrative legal person. Since then, KPL has actively connected private resources to invest in charitable activities to implement reading equity, SDGs, and ESG, a corporate sustainability development indicator. This connection has been robust. In 2023, 9 library branches have added “Kaohsiung i-Reading” sections, 20 public welfare web pages for e-books, 60 reading events, lectures, mobile book carts to rural areas, and storytelling promotions. The diverse and colorful social resources are dedicated to rooting reading in the city, becoming a model for public libraries in Taiwan.

In 2023, participants in KPL's SDGs and ESG reading welfare include Frank C. Chen’s Cultural and Educational Foundation, Tou Nan Fong Educational Foundation, Thinking Electronics, Kaohsiung Medical University, Compal Electronics, Scenic Precise Element, Verizon Construction & Engineering, Cheng Loong Corporation, Hi-Lai Foods, Long da Construction & Development Corporation, Kuan Jui Refrigerating Equipment Enterprise CO., Cleanaway Co. Ltd., Hua Yu Lien Group, China Steel Security, and others. All participants jointly contribute to rooting reading in the city, promoting reading equity, and comprehensively catering to the reading needs of all age groups and ethnicities.

“Kaohsiung i-Reading” is a reading website exclusively designed by the Kaohsiung Education Bureau for elementary school students, featuring recommended reading lists and quizzes to deepen students' reading and literacy. Due to the high demand for book borrowing by students citywide, the books in “Kaohsiung i-Reading” in each library branch are in high demand. Since 2021, KPL has launched a particular area for the corporate-sponsored “Kaohsiung i-Reading” section that links to ESG corporate sustainability indicators, receiving broad support. In 2023, “Kaohsiung i-Reading” sections were added to the Sanmin, Baozhu, Yancheng, Kaohsiung Cultural Center, Gangshan Cultural Center, Luzhu, Zhonglun, Mituo, and Jiasian library branches to serve the homework and reading needs of nearby elementary students. Many parents and students visit these branches during summer and winter vacations to enjoy reading new books, a motivation that profoundly moves the librarians.

The post-pandemic era saw changes in borrowing habits, which have led to a surge in e-book borrowing. KPL, the first among all public libraries, launched a website in 2021 that combines urban reading with social welfare, constructing a vision for urban digital reading with public-private collaboration. From the initial two enterprises responding to the initiative of reading charity web pages to twenty enterprises in 2023, the business community displays its support for KPL’s sustainable digital reading service.

Director Wang, Wen-Tsui (王文翠) of the Bureau of Cultural Affairs, Kaohsiung City Government, emphasized that KPL’s public welfare in reading combines current trends in SDGs, ESG corporate sustainability, environmental protection, and social responsibility. Thirty-eight administrative districts, one main library, 60 branch libraries, hundreds of mobile book cart visits to campuses and communities, thematic book exhibitions, local reading tours, cultural lectures, storytelling, and course studies are the best stages for linking social resources. Leveraging the strength of the business community and civil groups, the public and private sectors cooperate through education and reading to build a vision of reading equity for the city.

Acting Director of KPL, Lin Yi-Cheng (林奕成), explained that to help readers understand the aspects of SDGs and ESG, the library has also designed thematic book exhibitions and lectures touring in various branches, extending the concepts of sustainability, environmental protection, and social responsibility not just within the corporate sphere, but also to the hearts of the citizens.