The Imprint of Civilization: The Amazing Journey of Books

Materials of the grandiose exhibition on book history arrived in our Library as part of a cooperation agreement signed by NSZL and the National Central Library of Taiwan in spring 2015. The exhibition will present many rare books known as part of the high culture of Taiwan.

The National Central Library holds a rich collection of ancient books and documents. These mainly comprise rare or authoritative Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasty editions, but also include hand-copied Buddhist sutras dating from the Southern and Northern, Sui and Tang dynasties, as well as manuscripts of famous writers and rubbings of stone and bronze inscriptions. Recent years have seen the expansion of the collection to include folk etchings, engravings and woodblock prints, and old Taiwanese books and documents. The National Central Library’s collection contains a rich and enormous variety of beautiful items.

The exhibition presents thread-binding and other binding techniques, as well as secrets of techniques used before the invention of paper.

You can also put into practice what you have seen; the exhibition abounds in interactive elements, such as making woodblocks, painting, book-threading and taking a memory picture.

The exhibition will be open between October 18 and December 15, 2016, during the opening hours of the Library: Tuesday to Saturday, from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m.

Venue: Ars Librorum exhibition space and Corvina halls on Floor 6. You can visit the exhibition free of charge.