With a lion dance and musical performances by some of its students, the Taipei American School （TAS） held a grand opening celebration for its Joanna Nichols Memorial Library on Sunday.

School officials said the library was named after a strong advocate for children with special needs, who also was a parent of two former TAS students.

A plaque unveiled at the opening ceremony on Sunday read that Nichols came to Taiwan in 1978 and learned to speak fluent Mandarin and Taiwanese.

Nichols and her husband, Kenny Cheng （鄭欽明）, a native of Taiwan, founded the Childrens Hearing Foundation, which helped hearing-impaired children.

Nichols passed away in 2001 after a long battle with cancer.

Jade Chien, chair of the TAS board of directors, said the opening of the new library was "the beginning of our efforts to constantly improve student learning at TAS."

The lower, middle and upper school libraries each occupy a floor in the building, while the second floor holds information technology and audio-video facilities, including a film studio and an editing room.

"Im very excited about the new library," fourth grade teacher Mary Lee said. "It has more potential than the old library."

The Chinese library was another new addition to TAS.

"Its the first time we have a collection of books in Chinese since the founding of the school in 1949," Rose Lai （賴莉穎）, head librarian of the Chinese library, said.

The Chinese library will facilitate Chinese learning, which is required for students from kindergarten to the fifth grade and an elective for students from sixth to twelfth grades, Lai said.

"〔I feel〕 a great sense of accomplishment," Chris Hanna, superintendent of TAS, said. "And a sense of bringing the community together."