Taiwan Readers Association Established

Taiwan Readers Association Established The Taiwan Readers Association was inaugurated on May 7, adding new force to private promotion of reading in Taiwan. The association was founded with support from the Hsin Yi Foundation (信誼基金會), educators, and the Delaware-based International Readers Association (IRA). Founded in 1956, the IRA currently has 1,250 chapters and nearly 10,000 members in 99 countries. The group was established to enhance reading resources and services and encourage life-long interest in literary pursuits. At the inaugural meeting, Sing-ju Chang (張杏如), the executive director of the Hsin Yi Foundation, was nominated as the first president of the association. Four work plans were also passed, including a reading survey, a children's English reading activity, training programs for primary and middle school teachers as reading facilitators, and the creation of an association website to provide reading resources and channels of exchange.