To deepen sustainability education on campus and promote the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Chueh-Sheng Memorial Library and the Center for Sustainability Development and Social Innovation joined forces with the National Taiwan Library (NTL) to present the traveling exhibition “By Their SDG Stories… Sustainable Development Picture Story Exhibition and Submitted Works Tour Exhibition.” The exhibition runs from December 15, 2025, to January 17, 2026, on the second floor of the Chueh-Sheng Memorial Library. The opening ceremony was held at 9:30 a.m. on December 24, with Vice President for Administrative Affairs Chun-Hung Lin, Chief Sustainability Officer Ruey-Shiang Shaw, Library Dean Wen-Yau Lin, National Taiwan Library Director Tsau-Ying Tsao, and many faculty, staff, and students in attendance.

This exhibition marks the first stop of the National Taiwan Library’s SDGs Themed Traveling Exhibition. Centered on the concept of “telling sustainability through stories,” it features sustainable picture story works by five award-winning creators, along with 14 three-dimensional art pieces transformed from discarded materials. These are complemented by a curated selection of picture books and publications corresponding to the 17 SDGs, guiding visitors to reflect, through everyday experiences, on the relationships between people and the environment, society, and the future. An interactive area invites visitors to write down their own sustainability actions, encouraging ideals to be translated into daily practice.

In her remarks, Tsau-Ying Tsao emphasized that sustainability is not a slogan but a set of everyday practices. She noted that the exhibition draws from 120 outstanding books selected in 2023, covering audiences from early childhood to adulthood, to convey sustainability values through picture stories and make reading the starting point for action. Chun-Hung Lin pointed out that Tamkang University has positioned AI and sustainability as the dual pillars of its institutional development, actively implementing measures such as solar charging stations and electric buses, while also integrating sustainability into teaching, for example, through the required first-year course “Exploring Sustainability.” He stressed that the collaboration between the Chueh-Sheng Library and NTL, which combines picture stories with coursework, helps students engage with sustainability issues in a more vivid and accessible way.

From the perspective of linking SDGs with higher education, Ruey-Shiang Shaw noted that although Tamkang University integrates sustainability with its vision of “future-oriented development,” the key lies in “action in the present.” He expressed deep appreciation for students promoting reusable tableware on campus and called on faculty, staff, and students to start with themselves, accumulating small sustainability actions that can ultimately converge into a force for shaping the future. Wen-Yau Lin thanked NTL for choosing Tamkang University as the first stop of the tour and highlighted a major feature of the exhibition: its integration with two courses, “Children’s Literature” from the Department of Chinese Literature and “Picture Books and Reading Promotion” from the Department of Information and Library Science, allowing students to participate not only as visitors, but also as creators and guides. By combining on- and off-campus resources, the exhibition creates a diverse and educational learning environment, planting seeds of sustainability in every participant’s mind and enabling reading and action to occur simultaneously.

Following this, instructors of the two collaborative courses shared how university curricula can integrate sustainability topics. Through hands-on creation and outreach activities, students internalize sustainability concepts and turn them into action. Assistant Professor Min-Chi Hsieh of the Department of Chinese Literature explained that “observation” is the starting point of understanding and expression, as well as a crucial process for cultivating care and critical thinking. In her “Children’s Literature” course, she guides students to draw inspiration from everyday details, using “counting” as a framework for picture book creation, from rhythm and sequence to emotional and philosophical reflection, transforming observation into storytelling and fostering deeper concern for the world. The exhibited works, themed “Counting to Infinity” (「數一數，到無限」), demonstrate how students learn to understand themselves and engage in dialogue with the world through creative practice.

Lecturer Yi-Fang Lu from the Department of Information and Library Science outlined the course design philosophy of “Picture Books and Reading Promotion,” emphasizing that picture books are not merely children’s literature, but also powerful media for communicating social issues. The course first introduces students to picture books and selection principles, then integrates SDGs by having students design guided reading activities and discussion questions, transforming picture books into concrete reading promotion actions. Through this training, students come to see picture books as bridges that cross disciplines and connect ideas with the public.

Yi-Xuan Hung, a fourth-year student from the Department of Chinese Literature who participated in the “Sustainability Action” picture book project at the Children’s Literature Research Studio, shared that her love of drawing motivated her involvement. Working with teachers and classmates, the team chose snorkeling at Keelung’s Chaojing Park as their theme and conducted on-site snorkeling at Longdong Bay to ensure accuracy. They hoped to convey concepts of safe snorkeling and marine-friendly practices in a lively and engaging way. After repeated discussions and revisions, completing the work was deeply moving and brought a strong sense of accomplishment.

During the exhibition period, two major themed activities are planned: “Picture Book Guided Readings” and a “Picture Book Creation Presentation.” The guided readings are led by students from Yi-Fang Lu’s “Picture Books and Reading Promotion” course and took place at 12:15 p.m. on December 16, 17, 18, 23, 30, and 31. The picture book creation presentation, featuring achievements from Min-Chi Hsieh’s “Children’s Literature” course, was held at 1:10 p.m. on January 2, 2026.