Reserved book system in the university libraries

Abstract

　The library statistics of the last few years indicate a rapid increase of reserve book collections in the college and university libraries in Japan. This tendency has been encouraged through the allocation of special funds for development of reserve book collections in libraries, given by the Ministry of Education to certain nationally supported universities since 1966.
　Although the idea of the reserve book system was first introduced from the United States before the war, it has developed in its own way, and the system now prevailing in our country is somewhat different from a strict meaning of “reserved books”.
　In order to look back upon the fundamental idea of the reserve book system, the writer takes up the problems of teaching methods in the universities, introducing as an examble, International Christian University where the reserve books have been used for many years in close cooperation with faculty members. The discussion also includes the actual data of student use, as well as the evaluation of the system by faculty and students. Finally，the problems involved in the maintenance of the reserve book collection in the library are discussed and some suggestions are made for better use of this system to meet educational needs.