After being awarded the Benchmark Library Award from the 1^st Library Business and Contribution Awards, Kaohsiung Main Library has returned as the winner of two awards this year. Upon careful review and assessment, the Caoya Branch Library and KPL Planning Staff Cai Yu-ting were awarded the Benchmark Library Award and Outstanding Librarian category, respectively. KPL became the sole local public library to receive two awards.  

Wang Wen-Tsui, the Chairperson of the Kaohsiung Public Library and the Director of the Bureau of Cultural Affairs, expressed that KPL’s transformation to become an incorporated administrative institution has allowed a significant amount of flexibility in terms of operation. As the Benchmark Library Award winner in 2021, the Kaohsiung Main Public Library was the only city-and-county-level main library to receive such recognition from the Ministry of Education’s first Library Business and Contribution Award in Taiwan.

Director Wang had hoped that the KPL team would continue to build on their experiences in running the operations of the main library and work on improving the quality of services provided at branch libraries. Considering that Taiwan will become a super-aged society in 2025, the KPL team decided to establish a long-term care library for older people at the Caoya Branch Library, thereby further connecting library facilities with the community and exhibiting the spirit of local and innovative service of KPL. The Caoya Branch Library’s success in providing the most suitable reading-related services for older people has made a model for all libraries in the city. The Caoya Branch Library’s efforts were recognized when it received the second National Benchmark Library Award, allowing it to become a national model from which other libraries can learn.

The Kaohsiung Main Public Library was honored as an award recipient of the inaugural Library Business and Contribution Awards when it was awarded with the Benchmark Library Award. With support from the Ministry of Education and the National Library, KPL continued to invest in resources across various district branches. KPL’s investment efforts eventually led to the creation of the first "LTC-Themed Library for the Elderly" in Kaohsiung City, located at the Caoya Branch Library. KPL also collaborated and signed exclusive MOUs with local healthcare institutions, such as the Kaohsiung Municipal Siaogang Hospital and Yuh-Ing Junior College of Health Care and Management. Integration of expertise and resources from cultural, medical, and educational sectors has thus further expanded the KPL’s operations. KPL also aims to secure central resources, create a parallel integration of resources from different fields, and establish relationships with autonomous community groups. KPL seeks to fulfill these goals by connecting with local senior groups and promoting a combination of healthcare and reading initiatives. These approaches meet various SDG indicators and foster the development of a mutually beneficial community life that provides tailored services for older people in communities with which they are most familiar.

The Caoya Branch Library had previously received the Elderly Award from the Ministry of Health and Welfare for successfully operating the LTC-themed library in 2022. This year, the Caoya Branch Library stood out, leaving a deep impression of its management of library affairs in the judges’ hearts, and therefore, it received the Benchmark Library Award.  

Acting Director Lin Yi-Cheng of the Kaohsiung Public Library stated that KPL has always placed high regard on providing different services for different ages and social groups. KPL has responded to the trend of an aging society by establishing an LTC-themed library and connecting the community with cultural, medical, and educational sectors. Such comprehensive and sustainable approaches aim to create dedicated local elderly services. Over the years, citizens and expert committees have come to recognize KPL’s services, a significant driving factor for KPL's achievement of the Benchmark Library Award. In addition to providing a conducive reading environment and abundant library resources, generous, committed, and multi-talented professional librarians with diverse interdisciplinary skills also play a crucial role as the heart and soul of the Kaohsiung Public Library.

Using her expertise in art, KPL Planning Staff Cai Yu-Ting has been promoting the “Good Sprouts” project alongside her colleagues. With cooperation from the publishing industry, Cai Yu-Ting plans to enrich Taiwan’s collection of picture books, thereby creating a sufficient and fulfilling environment for interested readers. KPL is delighted to have received two Library Business and Contribution Awards from the Ministry of Education this year. Having received such acknowledgment, KPL hopes to continue encouraging and improving reading habits among citizens, promote various reading styles and habits in Kaohsiung, and advance the continuously changing excellence of innovative services.

The Kaohsiung Public Library is Taiwan's first and only corporatized public library. Cai Yu-Ting, who won the “Outstanding Library Staff Award” this year, is among the first group of professional staff that KPL hired after it became an incorporated administrative institution in 2017. She has served at the Main Library’s International Picture Book Center for years. In addition to being artistic, Cai Yu-Ting is also an outstanding educator and creator.

Using her expertise in event organization and visual experience, Cai Yu-Ting has dedicated her abilities to utilizing space, designing events, organizing activities, and providing services to realize the marketing of the "International Picture Book Center." At the same time, she is also involved in the retransformation process of Taiwan's original creative space, helping picture book authors to create wall artworks that would optimize the atmosphere of the International Picture Book Center. By combining her art curation expertise and her colleagues' creative ideas, Cai Yu-Ting has been actively promoting diverse picture book reading activities. Some of the activities include launching four Augmented Reality (AR) interactive picture book experiences, the "Art Going Rural" initiative, where mobile libraries are combined with storytelling tours, and the top-rated annual summer event "Night at the Library." KPL has enhanced cultural and artistic equality by providing various reading materials through these activities. Thus, the recognition received from the awards acknowledges the professional services of individual staff and signifies the favor and appreciation for the library as a whole. Having received such affirmation, KPL aims to continue presenting various reading materials that would offer visitors of all ages a richer experience and imagination while spreading the seeds of reading habits throughout Kaohsiung City.