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The purpose of this paper is to present the experience of National Taiwan University Medical Library (NTUML) in changing the atmosphere of the library, catering to the needs of current users; attracting potential users to the library; and modifying the library's image from a place filled with stacks of books and clusters of computers to a place where people might relax and enjoy reading.

NTUML commenced the planning stage of the renovation of its Reference Room on the third floor in June 2007. After extensive discussions with the interior designer, the NTUML transformed an abstract idea into the concrete design of the “New Reading Paradise”, a diverse and cozy environment suitable for quiet reading, group discussion and interaction. The “New Reading Paradise” was officially open to public in March 2008. The 992‐square‐meter reading paradise houses a choice collection of books and reference materials, with comfortable, brightly‐lit discussion rooms and ergonomically designed reading tables and chairs.

Records show that from 2005 to 2008 the number of readers using the NTUML Reference Room increased by 52.60 percent. The NTUML conducted a small questionnaire survey of a random sample of its users. Of the 40 respondents, 35 were satisfied with the overall design of the space, and the remaining five thought it was acceptable. A total 37 respondents said that they were more inclined to use the library because of the “New Reading Paradise”.

The paper describes how the library transformed itself to become more in tune with the needs of its users. The Reading Paradise reminds the users to slow down, take a mind break, and enjoy reading and thinking. This is a responsibility of the library.

This paper aims to show how implementing new information technology has expanded the role of librarians as educators and how this role has matched the evolution of new technology.

The paper looks at librarians' approaches to their role as educators and explores ways of most effectively implementing changes. By reviewing the literature and taking the old discourse around library education and information literacy, the paper reflects on the changing role of librarians in an era of greater access to technology, including Web 2.0.

Collaboration with faculty was found to be an essential feature of the most successful stories. Teaching students and faculty to use new information technologies may have become one of the major roles of librarians.

This paper demonstrates that the continual evolution of the web is causing a move from e‐libraries to mobile libraries, and that the educational role of the librarians must encompass this trend, and to anticipate similar future developments.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss three recent changes in higher education – the addition of technology to every aspect of the curriculum, the increase in the availability of electronic resources, and the introduction of constructivist pedagogy. In light of these changes, the authors aim to explore what university libraries and librarians should reinforce in terms of their concepts and competency and adjust the ways that they serve students.

The authors analyze the related literature and identified technology, electronic resources, and constructivist pedagogy that interact with the new curriculum of universities in a broader way than in the past.

The three dimensions, separately and in combination, require considerable adjustments by librarians, teachers, students, and the school/university community in general. Collaboration among all members of staff, particularly between librarians and teachers, is essential. The emerging paradigm, still firmly based in constructivist principles, recognizes that there is a need for staff guidance of students though they are expected to become increasingly independent as they progress through the system. Meanwhile, two new core competencies have emerged for university librarians: information literacy and problem‐based learning (PBL).

The emergence of the two competencies has reminded librarians to learn, change and grow constantly to serve PBL students effectively.

The aim of this paper is to determine the essential features of information literacy; what role it should play in university library user education; and how programs can be best implemented.

The researchers systemically surveyed and reviewed publications related to information literacy and library user education.

It was found that a well‐designed information literacy program benefits the library and its staff, faculty, and students; librarians should play a leading role in the design and operation of programs, but collaboration with faculty, IT professionals and students is essential; programs should be embedded in the curriculum, be largely cooperative, and be problem‐based; evaluation and assessment are essential components; emphasis should be placed on first‐year students; and, ideally, the librarians will turn into educators and the library will become a learning center combining learning, research and technology.

This paper reflects the opinions of the researchers and the authors of the reviewed literature who have insights into the issues related to information literacy and library user education. These opinions present useful guidelines for both librarian and teacher practitioners.

This paper provides a point of view on the relationship between information literacy and library user education in the six themes described above.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the nature of organizational learning within Taiwanese Institute of Technology academic libraries, and in particular the nature of the relationship between the institutional evaluation of those libraries by the Ministry of Education and the responses of the libraries.

Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 24 library personnel, including directors. These interviews explored issues arising from a survey of the related literature and resulted in the emergence of five important themes.

The results of this study show that few libraries seem to be achieving what might be considered an adequate level of organizational learning, largely it seems because of internal barriers and structural problems with how the evaluation is implemented.

The findings of this study apply only to the particular types of libraries studied and to the concept of evaluation and organizational learning as it applies to these types of libraries. The research implications are that library management needs to operate in a transformational manner; then continue with assistance and consistency to give support needed to all parts of the library organization so that comprehensive and meaningful choices can be made.

Libraries must engage more in a learning dialogue with their particular contexts, thus enhancing their capacity for true organizational learning. These implications concerning learning processes can also be applied widely to academic libraries outside Taiwan.

The contribution of the study lies in two directions: extension and development of existing conceptual frameworks in organizational learning; and examination of the use of evaluation procedures in an unusual setting.

This paper seeks to probe key issues concerning library instruction and the problem‐based learning (PBL) curriculum. This is important because the curriculum has particular non‐traditional characteristics, and library instruction may be able to play a greater role, giving students more support in both their study and information‐seeking behaviour.

The paper systemically surveyed and reviewed literatures related to library instruction, library user education and medical curriculum design.

To sustainably integrate library instructional materials and activities into the PBL curriculum, it is important to help medical libraries to become learning organizations that can respond to changing external environments.

The paper presents a hybrid template of the instruction for different year medical students. The template can be an example for those who plan library instructional activities in medical schools.

The paper also provides five strategies for the library to manage the previous task more smoothly and effectively. The strategies are: small group education; problems of the curriculum; librarians' re‐education and retraining; information literacy; and the faculty‐librarian partnerships.