At 2:00 p.m. on December 16, 2025, the Ministry of Education (MOE) held the Awards Ceremony for the 3rd MOE Library Service Contribution Awards at the National Central Library, recognizing institutions and individuals for their outstanding contributions to the advancement of library services nationwide. Tamkang University’s Chueh-Sheng Memorial Library was honored with the “Benchmark Library Award,” becoming the only university among all award recipients. Adding to the celebration, five alumni of the Department of Information and Library Science also received individual awards, underscoring the department’s excellence in talent cultivation and its strong reputation in the library and information science field. Award recipients included Venerable Tzu-Yen Shih, Director of the Library at Luminary Buddhist Institute, Shu-Man Wang, Deputy Director of the Taipei Public Library, and Wen-Yu Huang, Section Chief of the National Library of Public Information, who received the Outstanding Library Administrator Award; as well as Hui-Man Niu, Editor at the National Central Library, and Yen-Kai Liu, Counselor at the National Library of Public Information, who received the Outstanding Librarian Award.
Administrative Vice President Chun-Hung Lin highly commended the library’s overall performance, noting in particular its substantial achievements in the continuous implementation of Total Quality Management (TQM) and the proactive adoption of AI tools to effectively reduce staff workload, with remarkable results. He emphasized that this honor was by no means accidental, but rather the outcome of long-term dedication by Dean Wen-Yau Lin, former library deans, and all library staff. Moreover, the recognition received by alumni serving at external institutions further demonstrates the Department of Information and Library Science's success in nurturing professional talent.
Dean of Library Lin expressed strong confidence in her colleagues’ professionalism and service quality, stating that the library will continue to strengthen collaboration among divisions and units while responding more closely to users’ evolving information-seeking behaviors in the digital era. In alignment with Tamkang University’s comprehensive adoption of AI across research, teaching, and administration, the library has not only introduced courses on AI ethics but also implemented initiatives to promote responsible use of AI. Still, it has also actively promoted AI interactive services. By adopting a low-code, self-developed model, the library has integrated AI tools into professional workflows and, at zero additional cost, developed the customer service chatbot “Little Book Attendant” (「小書僮」). The chatbot is capable of responding to users’ basic inquiries at any time and from anywhere, achieving an accuracy rate of over 90 percent.
Regarding this achievement, Lin extended special thanks to the dedicated library staff and former directors who have worked diligently over the years, including Shih-Hsion Huang and Hong-Chu Huang, who introduced TQM to the library as early as 30 years ago, as well as Sheue-Fang Song, who led AI and other innovative services over the past 13 years. This award, she noted, is a collective recognition of their efforts. She also expressed gratitude for the University’s long-standing support, affirming that the library will continue to enhance its services, deepen collaboration with library partners, and provide readers with the highest-quality information services.
In response to increasingly diverse user service demands and staffing challenges, the library has actively adopted AI and leveraged its internal technological resources to address these needs. Led by the Digital Systems Section, a cross-division collaborative team was launched in September 2023, utilizing the iota C.ai conversational service platform provided by the Office of Information Services. Within just three months, the team successfully developed the “Little Book Attendant,” realizing a digital transformation and intelligent upgrade of library services. Since its launch in November 2023, the chatbot has handled more than 12,000 valid inquiries, significantly reducing the burden on staff in responding to repetitive questions and enabling them to devote more time to delivering specialized, value-added services, thereby enhancing overall service effectiveness.
Xin-Yu Chen, a third-year student in the Department of Mass Communication, shared her experience, noting that the “Little Book Attendant” clearly and categorizes frequently asked questions from different user groups. With its intuitive interface, she can quickly find answers and resolve various library-related issues promptly. The service even extends to information about the University History Gallery. “It’s a brilliant example of smart design,” she remarked.
