On The Idea of “Mass-Library”of Takasi Ariyama

Abstract

Takasi Ariyama (1911-69) was executive secretary of The Japan Library Association between 1957 and 1967. He was one of main contributors in the establishing today's library idea (“public library for all citizens”) in Japan. “Mass library” was the term used by him in 1950s.
Firstly “mass library” was the concept connected with the theory of “mass society”. Secondly it was a critical concept of “public library”. Thirdly it was connected with “Hudokusha-taishu”, meaning the non-reading mass in Japan.
From these point of views, he insisted that mass should be enlightened and be helped out of ill effects of mass-communication, and that non-reading mass should be reading public and library users. To realize his idea, he considered “reading guidance” to be an essential and main service of library services. But “reading guidance” had also many problems in itself. For example, it actually became an indoctorinative method in the war time. In this point he wasn't free from the prewar theoretical inclination.
His library idea, however, had enlightening aspect. Because he believed in such library services as to help enlightten the mass and to contribute democratizing Japanese society.