A public library that will enable rail commuters to check out books before getting on their train will be launched April 22. The inauguration of the low-emission public library will coincide with Earth Day 2010, the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) said Tuesday.

The news comes at a time when Taiwan is striving to encourage more reading among a population that spends less than 3 hours per week reading, on average.

The environmentally friendly library, located in the lobby of Banciao Railway Station, will be open from 7 am to 10 pm year round. A Taipei MRT EasyCard will be needed for admission.

Established and run jointly by the Taipei County government and Taipei County Public Library, the library will be the first in Taiwan to be located in a transportation hub that serves the traditional railway, an MRT system and Taiwan's high-speed railway, the TRA said.

The library will be fully automated, featuring a digital round-the-clock monitoring system. Books will be able to be checked out and returned automatically, without the help of a library clerk.

The facility itself is also a low-carbon environment, with its lighting and air conditioning systems designed to limit carbon emissions and optimize efficiency, according to the TRA.

The TRA suggested that passengers can borrow books before boarding trains and return the books when they arrive back at the station later in the day after school or work.

Taiwan's train network is not the only group eager to promote reading throughout the island. Delegates of more than 100 nonprofit organizations gathered Monday to declare the establishment of the Taiwan NPO Reading Alliance.

The campaign, aimed at driving up Taiwan's low reading rate.

Addressing the gathering, "Education Minister" Wu Ching-ji said reading is not an exclusive right reserved only for students, but one that parents and adults should also take advantage of.

"People who read can see the whole world. Through reading, a man can see higher and farther, as if he is standing on the shoulders of a giant," Wu said.

China Daily/CNA

(HK Edition 04/21/2010 page4)