【Kaohsiung】On August 16, Associate Professor Lee Chin-Yang from the Department of Chinese Literature at the National Kaohsiung Normal University (NKNU) officially took office as the new director of Kaohsiung Public Library.

KPL Chairperson Wen-Tsui Wang stated that the library plays a pivotal role in promoting books and reading. In 2017, the Kaohsiung Public Library (KPL) was reformed as Taiwan's first local independent administrative institution. KPL’s Board of Directors consists of experts in various fields, including library and information, literature, history, philosophy, business operations, management, and other related specialties, all of which contribute to the rich diversity in KPL’s operations.

Under the recommendation of the Kaohsiung City Government, which also acts as KPL’s supervising unit, the Board of Directors has elected Professor Lee Chin-Yang as the new director of the Kaohsiung Public Library. Chairperson Wang is pleased to welcome her into the fold. Before she was appointed as KPL’s new director, Professor Lee was a principal of the Affiliated Senior High School of NKNU for many years. She has an abundance of ideas regarding reading education, as well as reading programs for citizens of all ages. Her experience and expertise in the educational sector will undoubtedly drive KPL’s advancements, propelling it to become an essential hub for extracurricular activities. This is a vision that the community, fellow volunteers, and the library staff at KPL must work together to realize.

Regarding KPL’s future, the newly appointed Director, Lee Chin-Yang, expressed her plans to focus initially on three aspects: “the cultivation of knowledge networks, cross-domain cooperation, and smart technology services.” She aims to continue developing local services in each branch library to the next level, implement cultural equality, and further enhance the relationship between library personnel and educational institutions of different levels. These efforts create a more effective platform to cultivate lifelong learning and skill cultivation for Kaohsiung citizens. Director Lee Chin-Yang also wishes to strengthen the bonds between KPL and Kaohsiung City by expanding KPL’s partnerships with independent bookstores and publishing companies. In addition, she seeks to bring together different sectors of literature, graphics, and technology to create a new vision of reading. By keeping a close eye on smart technology operations, KPL will be able to enhance the knowledge and quality of its services, leading to the creation of multifaceted operations in a cultural venue of a new era.

With a PhD degree from NKNU, the newly appointed Director Lee Chin-Yang has just retired from her position as an associate professor at the university’s Chinese Department on August 1 this year. Aside from having held the position of principal at the Affiliated Senior High School of NKNU, she had also assumed office as NKNU’s Dean of Student Affairs at one point. The director has extensive teaching experiences across different educational levels, including elementary school, junior and senior high, university, and graduate school. Furthermore, she is often invited to serve on the evaluation committee to assess legal persons and branch libraries.

Director Lee Chin-Yang has made tremendous contributions to promotional programs for classical reading, writing, and oral expression. She has designed and edited numerous standard teaching materials and published two editions of Stories of the World in Signs. With a deep devotion to cultural education, Director Lee Chin-Yang has collected a wealth of experience in school and societal education. One that stands out is the ten years she spent as the principal of the Affiliated Senior High School of NKNU, during which she showed her capacity for heartfelt leadership and maintaining interrelationships, garnering positive responses from educators and students alike.

Before becoming the director of KPL, she often evaluated branch libraries and other legal persons. The director even became a member of the library’s Board of Directors. Due to these experiences, she already has a basic grasp and understanding of KPL’s operations. Having been granted this opportunity, Director Lee Chin-Yang looks forward to channeling her experiences in the educational sector as well as the promotion of educational reading for all ages to make contributions to public libraries, allowing Kaohsiung’s most beautiful library to continue making changes and further promote reading among citizens.