Bilingual text here: https://english.ftvnews.com.tw/news/2026420W09EA?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description
雙語文字版: https://english.ftvnews.com.tw/news/2026420W09EA?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description

Our official website: ➔ https://english.ftvnews.com.tw/

Follow us on
Facebook: ➔ https://www.facebook.com/ftvformosanews
X (Twitter): ➔ https://x.com/FTV_Taiwan_News
Since 2025, every time you check out a book from a public library in the six special municipalities, publishers and authors can still receive compensation. It’s because Taiwan is now piloting a Public Lending Right, or PLR scheme from 2025 to 2027. It’s also the first country in Asia with a PLR program. The government pays NT$3 for each physical book checked out from the library, split 7:3 between the Taiwan-based publisher and writer or translator of Taiwanese nationality. Currently, more than 4,000 writers and translators have benefitted from the program.

Lin Yung-chi
FTV reporter
You can borrow books for free at the library. But did you know that your borrowing also benefits writers and publishers?

That’s right, you can support writers even if you didn’t buy a personal copy. Public libraries could more or less affect book sales, but it doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game. The Ministry of Culture is piloting a Public Lending Right, or PLR scheme, covering 300 libraries in the country. Every time a physical book is checked out, the government offers a NT$3 subsidy, split 7:3 between the publisher and the writer or translator.

Member of public
Library user
I think it’s great, because it doesn’t cost me anything to borrow books from the library. At the same time, I get to receive knowledge from books and compensate writers.

On the program website, beneficiaries can see the number of times their titles were checked out and how much they can expect to receive. All the writer or translator has to do is to register the ISBN of their publications, and the system will automatically tally the number of times their works have been checked out.

Chi Li-feng
Writer
Only after registering on the system did I discover just how many times my works have been checked out, which really adds up. The new title section in stores looks different every two to three months. Now that you can find the books in libraries and check out the titles, you can actually support the authors and publishers. Sometimes it’s not about money. It’s more the realization that so many people are still willing to borrow my works, which is really touching.

Xiao Yi-qing
Children’s author
I was quite happy when the remittance came through. This title was published way back, in 2010. It’s not so easy to find it in stores now, but over a four-month period last year, it was checked out 700 times. It’s still visible to readers, which I find really touching.

Currently, only some 35 countries have a PLR program, with Taiwan as the first in Asia. Over the September to December billing period last year, around NT$18.47 million was distributed to 221 publishers and over 4,000 writers and translators.

Steve Wu
Publishers’ Association
Not only the publishing industry, the entire book industry strongly supports PLR. I also hope that it can be written into law, so that there won’t be a risk of the government no longer earmarking a budget for PLR due to a lack of budget, which we don’t wish to see happen.

Publishers hope to see PLR written into law, so that the funds for the all-win solution for libraries, publishers, writers and translators won’t risk getting cut.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#libraries #publishing #PLB #publiclendingright #culture

#台灣新聞 #TaiwanNews #民視新聞 #FTV新聞 #Taiwan