Feel the "motion" of baseball in the "stillness" of a library – Trial operation begins at Xinzhuang Touqian Smart Library

▲The interior of Xinzhuang Touqian Smart Library has a strong baseball vibe, with a mini baseball court that's incredibly lifelike. (Photo / Screenshot fromNew Taipei City Government website, the same below)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

With summer vacation approaching,New Taipei City’s first campus smart library, the “Xinzhuang Touqian Smart Library,”officially began its trial operation on June 21. Covering an area of about 80 pyeong, the library houses a collection of over 23,000 books. It operates entirely via self-service — visitors only need an EasyCard library card to easily borrow and return books. The library also offers periodical lending. Additionally, as it is located near the Xinzhuang Sports Park,the interior is designed with a baseball theme to create a sporty atmosphere, allowing visitors to enjoy the “motion” of baseball while immersed in the “stillness” of the library.

Located within Xinzhuang Touqian Junior High School, the “Touqian Smart Library” is the second smart library established in New Taipei City after the Banqiao Station Low-Carbon Smart Library, and the first one built in collaboration with a school. The entire facility utilizes high-tech RFID technology, featuring automatic doors and self-service borrowing and returning equipment. Visitors can swipe their cards to enter, DIY borrow books and materials, and complete return procedures — all self-service. The library is also equipped with a book sterilizer and free Wi-Fi, making it convenient for readers to disinfect books and access the internet wirelessly. Catering to both students and community residents, it offers a variety of best-selling books in categories such as literature, finance, travel, cookbooks, comics, parenting, children’s books, and young adult literature, meeting the reading needs of residents in the Xinzhuang Touqian and the adjacent sub-central business district.

▲A special section of the library is themed around baseball, aiming to help the public learn more about Taiwan’s baseball culture.

In line with the local characteristics of the nearby Xinzhuang Sports Park and Xinzhuang Baseball Stadium, the library also houses a collection of sports-themed books on baseball and leisure activities, and its interior displays are filled with baseball elements. Scattered among the bookshelves, the “Baseball Theme Exhibition” not only introduces the history of Taiwanese baseball and related rules and knowledge, but also displays equipment such as gloves, helmets, and cleats. This includes jerseys from now-defunct teams like Uni-President Lions, Brother Elephants, Chinatrust Whales, and Sinon Bulls, allowing readers to enjoy the pleasure of reading while easily learning about baseball culture. For the first time, the New Taipei City Public Library has collaborated with the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL), which provided baseball memorabilia for the exhibition, including signed balls from Lin Chih-sheng, Chen Chin-feng, Pan Wei-lun, and Kao Kuo-hui from the 2015 CPBL All-Star Game. The league also donated baseball-related books, hoping that the public can better understand the value of Taiwan’s national sport through these exhibits.

Xinzhuang Touqian Smart Library
Address: 2 Zhongyuan Rd., Xinzhuang District, New Taipei City (3F, Lohas Hall, Touqian Junior High School)
Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday, 09:00–21:00