Abstract

This study employed a qualitative case study approach to explore the transformative learning processes of participants in the 󰡔Dream Reading Coaching󰡕 program, which was designed to enhance reading ability—a fundamental tool for learning—and to facilitate the discovery of personal dreams and callings, in an era of great transition where lifelong learning has become increasingly significant. Over a 2-year period, data were collected and analyzed, revealing the following eight stages of transformative learning: (1) the program serving as a trigger for transformative learning, (2) listening and empathy, (3) confronting and recovering from a disorienting dilemma, (4) establishing a new self-identity, (5) the discovery and practice of dreams and callings, (6) the improvement of reading ability, (7) the practice through the small library, and (8) the transformation of the small library. A distinctive feature of the transformative learning process observed in this study was that personal transformation extended to the transformation of the small library. The crucial links connecting personal transformation to institutional change were identified as the discovery and practice of dreams and callings, the improvement of reading ability, and the practice through the small library. These findings provide foundational insights for adult reading research and literacy programs, and offer practical implications for developing effective reading policies in libraries.