Founder History  |
 Taking America Story Activity for Example to Create Teacher Lin Storytelling Team
Zeng Shu-xian who is curator of National Library took America Library Storytelling for example to inspire reading when she was the director in Minsheng branch. She started to plant related activities in 1987, in order to offer children opportunities to join activities, cultivating their interest in reading, and reading more books. In that time, Chen Han-Chiang who is commissioner of Taipei City Government’s Department of Education also had the same idea; therefore, he invited library crew and school principals to plant for Taipei Teacher Lin Storytelling Team.
Taking America Story Activity for Example to Create Teacher Lin Storytelling Team
 The first storytelling which was in the July 11, 1987 was held in the activity room of Minsheng Branch Library. That was a grand demonstration! Inviting many professional storytellers to make library crew knew how to run the storytelling activities in library, and to let schools follow up. On the other side, the volunteers will know how to tell stories in the future. Mrs. Zeng recalls that there were a lot of people in activity room of library. The audiences are very enthusiastic, and the children are very happy to have storytelling activities in library. Teacher Lin Storytelling team started from Minsheng Branch to other branches (After about 80 years.), which makes the children in Taipei enjoying these activities.
Frustration: The Funding and Personnel Recruitment
Mrs. Zeng says that establishing is not difficult, but there are some problems on funding, for example, making props and Christmas activities and so on. (The source of funding is from Taipei City Library.) They also encountered frustration in recruiting, because it’s difficult to find proper person telling stories. Therefore, sometimes the teachers can’t pronounce very well when they tell stories. Actually, storytelling is an opportunity of learning language. It’s not so easy to make volunteers in each branches have well pronunciation, skill, and quality, especially there are many teachers in each branches.
Surprised Gains: Give Less but Get More
Lin’s storytelling activities still work now since 1987. The best result is that they affect each child who took part in listening stories. Those activities help children so much, because some children who grew up came bake to tell stories to other children. Ms. Zeng said, the most surprised is building atmosphere of storytelling for Taiwan’s libraries. Since Taipei’s libraries started, other libraries also start to hold storytelling activities, then storytelling becomes an important activity in library. Ms. Zeng is happy about storytelling is in libraries which affect other public libraries in other countries have concept of offering storytelling activity, and affect children in communities.
Moving and Appreciation
Ms. Zeng said, she thought Teacher Lin storytelling can’t be sustained for so long time, and she hopes that it can continue to work in the future. Ms. Zeng also said, the process is only sweet no bit, and she is joyful to be good friends with the volunteers. The volunteers’ energy and passion will affect the people around them, and the advocated spirit is the most moved. The most impressive, there was a teacher becoming gradually freeze people, but she still continue serving people, advocating herself. Her team organized bazaar to raise money for her. The team’s members tell story for 10~20 years, and they become closely friends. Ms. Zeng remembers they donated a machine which can let gradually freeze people open pages.
Ms. Zeng wants to say something for the volunteers, ”Thank You! You are so great! ”. Because of the teachers, the children have happier time in their childhood. Because of the teachers, the children love to read more. By reading, the children are more competitive when they grow up.
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