Taichung City Library Shalu Shenbo Branch Introduction
In 1986, the "Shalu Township Library" was established on the fourth floor of the Shalu Township Office, with an initial collection of 12,922 volumes. To provide a more convenient reading space, the then township mayor, Chen Mingdi, hoped to construct a larger library in collaboration with private sector support, in response to the government's policy of having "libraries in every township." Partnering with the local company Wei-Dan Enterprises, the township office provided 4,797 square meters of public land, while Wei-Dan Enterprises contributed the construction funds. The Taiwan Provincial Department of Education and Taichung County Government subsidized the equipment. Construction, led by Wei-Dan Enterprises, commenced in 1988 and the library was completed and handed over to the township office by the end of 1989. It officially opened on February 20, 1990, with formal book circulation beginning on July 14 of the same year. To honor the company's dedication to the community, the library was named "Shalu Township Shenbo Library" after Mr. Yang Shenbo, the founder of Wei-Dan Enterprises. In December 2010, due to the merger of Taichung County and City, it became subordinate to the Cultural Bureau of Taichung City Government and was renamed "Taichung City Shalu District Shenbo Library." On March 1, 2016, it was reorganized and became "Taichung City Library Shalu Shenbo Branch." The Shalu Shenbo Branch is located adjacent to the Shalu Administrative Center and close to several schools, including Shalu Junior High School, Shalu Elementary School, Beishi Junior High School, Shalu Senior Vocational School, Zhulin Elementary School, Providence University, and Hungkuang University, serving a wide audience. In 2003, the Shalu Shenbo Branch pioneered the nationwide "Bookstart" infant reading promotion program introduced from the UK and launched parent-child reading clubs the following year, fostering community reading. Additionally, the Shalu Shenbo Branch is one of the leading "film-themed" specialty libraries in the country, housing thousands of film-related collections, including books, audiovisual materials, journals, exhibition catalogs, and posters. It is equipped with complete film screening facilities and regularly screens films from around the world and hosts themed film exhibitions, making it a public library rich in cinematic atmosphere.
