On December 5, 2023, Claire Nénert, Director of the Museum and Exhibitions Department of the National Library of France (Bibliothèque nationale de France, BnF), visited Director Hsiang-Ping Ma of the National Library of Public Information (NLPI). They reached a consensus on future exchanges and cooperation in the aspects of digital archiving and curation, digital resource sharing, book exchanges, and librarian training. The aim is to open up a more international and diverse content development for public libraries in Taiwan, looking forward to enriching and broadening their perspectives.
Director Claire Nénert, with Exposition Service Project Manager Alice Rivollier, International Expertise Project Manager Francesca Baldi, visited NLPI in the company of personnel from the French Office in Taipei. This visit marked a significant and meaningful exchanges since the lifting of pandemic restrictions.
Director Claire Nénert highlighted the rich experience of the BnF in digital archiving, exhibition promotion of digital content, librarian training, and consulting services. She hoped that sharing and exchanging ideas would inspire new concepts and methods, fostering collaboration between BnF and NLPI for further development. Director Hsiang Ping Ma expressed a favorable response to the eagerness for collaboration, affirming NLPI's willingness to serve as a partner for BnF in Asia. She pointed out that NLPI is the first national digital public library in Taiwan, with a solid foundation in library digital services through technology. Considering BnF's proficiency in digital archiving technology, skilled personnel, and diverse cultural resources, both institutions can enhance collaborations in digital archiving, exhibition curation, sharing digital resources, exchanging books, and providing librarian training.
The BnF is dedicated to collecting, preserving, enriching, and providing access to a unique documentary heritage from around the world. With a collection of 40 million items, it has made significant contributions to the research and development in the field of humanities.
The activities were personally hosted by Director Hsiang-Ping Ma, and section heads from NLPI participated. Both institutions engaged in in-depth discussions on various topics, including digital archiving, library preservation and restoration, exhibition promotion, and librarian training. After the meeting, librarians from NLPI led the French delegation to visit the special collection "Vintage Japanese Books" and the selected artwork "Orchid Records" by Kawasumi Riichirō, a photographer dispatched to Taiwan in 1896. After the meeting, both institutions exchanged gifts.