The apparatus has a carriage that holds a head, a carriage-driving mechanism having a motor, and a holding mechanism configured to press a recording medium to a medium-holding base. The holding mechanism has a pair of arm members and a pushing member secured to the arm members. A spring urges the holding mechanism toward the medium-holding base. The carriage can move to a first region and farther to as second region. In the first region, the head can read data from the recording medium. The apparatus has a sliding member that moves together with the carriage while the carriage remains in the second region. When the carriage moves to the second region and moves together with the carriage, the pushing member moves away from the medium-holding base.