Every month for the past three years, the Wanli District Library in New Taipei has been receiving parcels filled with bestsellers from an unidentified donor known as Mr. Lee. The mysterious donor has so far donated more than 300 books, none of which are repeats in the library''s collection. To thank the man for his generosity, the library has set up a special area with all of his donations, which have all proven to be a hit with local readers.

The librarian opens the parcel, and inside are some of the latest bestsellers. Each month, this public library up in New Taipei’s coastal Wanli District receives a parcel like this, and sometimes several parcels.

Hsiao Chien-hui
Wanli branch library director
Wanli doesn’t have any bookstores, and we are the only district-administered library. Buying books is an inconvenience for local residents, so they usually come here to read and borrow books.

Mr. Lee seems to have heard of Wanli’s plight. He has mailed 51 parcels to the library containing a total of more than 300 new books. All of them books that the library didn’t have in its collection. Every time new books arrive, local readers rush to get their eyes on them.

Hsiao Chien-hui
Wanli branch library director
Mr. Lee’s donations are all top sellers. We put them on this dedicated shelf, which is very popular with our readers. The books he sends are all carefully selected. He doesn’t send in titles that we already have.

Mr. Lee has never identified himself at the library, and he doesn’t leave any contact information on his packages. His donations have bulked up the library’s collection, feeding the insatiable appetite of local bibliophiles for new reading material.

The library has set up a special shelf dedicated to the mysterious and generous Mr. Lee. It says it hopes the spirit of his generosity will encourage such kindness in others, so that the children of Wanli will never be without new sources of knowledge.