花蓮市新象繪本館成立於2003年4月，當時的花蓮，閱讀資源缺乏，因 此創辦人陳醫師立意設館來關注在地孩子的閱讀經營，希望能以「閱讀」， 為地方的孩子開一扇認識世界的窗。新象繪本館除了例行的每月新書選購、 各項讀書會等常態閱讀活動的經營之外，更積極地透過寒暑假優質的活動營 隊規劃，以及一年一度的館慶創造更多的閱讀話題，期望更多花蓮人願意走 進繪本館，一起為花蓮的閱讀努力。2011年4月16日，新象繪本館將暫時停 止實體的館務營運。未來，新象社區交流協會將隨著行動圖書車—「小太陽 ㄅㄨ ㄅㄨ車」，傾全力經營偏鄉閱讀工程。

In April, 2003, with no thoughts about making a profit, the Exchange Association of Xin-Xiang Community in Hualian County decided to establish a private children’s library out of high ideals and a commitment to learning. The members of the association only wished to promote good reading habits among children in Hualian County by providing a conveniently located library, helping them to understand the world through reading.　Hualian at that time was a place lacking in reading resources and desperately in need of an effective reading program for the local children. Other than conducting routine reading activities such as purchasing new books on a monthly basis and organizing reading clubs, the Xin-Xiang Picture Book Library holds top-notch activity camps every summer and winter vacation and celebrates the library’s birthday every year to create an abundance of topics for reading—all in the hope that more Hualian’s residents visit their library regularly and promote good reading habits. The Xin-Xiang Picture Book Library has been temporarily closed (since April 16, 2011). In the future, the Exchange Association of Xin-Xiang Community will put all their efforts into promoting reading in the remote areas of Hualian with their mobile library: The Toot-Toot Bus of Little Sun.