Higashi-sumiyoshi Library, established as a branch of Osaka City Library in July 1972, now renamed Hirano Library, had 5,423 registered borrowers in November 1973, of whom 4,365 (80%) were younger readers (15 and below).
　During the month surveyed, 1,138 children (26% of junior registrants) actually visited the library to borrow one or more books. Books circulated for these junior readers were 4,845 (4.3 per junior registrant). In the same period, 458 adults (43% of registrants) came to the library and borrowed 2,327 books (5.1 per adult registrant)
　Among the actual borrowers, 55% of children and 64% of adults came to the library more than twice in November 1973. These persons might be considered as the current users, for the permitted loan period at the library was two weeks. As to the current users, an average of 6.7 books each were taken by adults, compared to 6.1 books by junior users.
　It can be said that there are the majority of registrants who use the library infrequently and the minority keenly anxious to use the library.

View full abstract

　In 1911 Zensaku Takeuchi (1885-1950) was adopted as an assistant of Tokyo City Public Libraries, where he was on duty of Yotsuya Branch and other three branches.
　He removed of his post from Tokyo City Public Libraries to the vice director of Ohashi Library, where he resigned in 1944. His work is “Manual of Public Libraries and School Libraries” (1949).
　As various problems resolved or reformed in the daily works, he discussed with materials of his experiences, which were concluded on the basis of the pragmatic lines of thoughts, and the context of his argments were not be able to find out any contradictions. I will introduce one of his treatises “Application of serial services”, in which he discussed services of small libraries with serials as the main materials. He told his experiences in the Branches of Tokyo City Public Libraries, where he served with serials selected and got readers gratified. He adviced small libraries to serve with serials as main materials by reason of their new and fresh informations, attractive characters and judgement of patrons reading inclinations.
　He, with ability of appreciation of serials, recommended five magazines for children on the “Journal of City Libraries and Their Works”, in the Library Week, 1926. Among them there was “Akai-Tori” or Red Birds edited by Miyekichi Suzuki, an eminent fable writer and novelist. He was gratified by Takeuchi's recommendation, and wrote a long letter to report the improvement of the magazine on behalf of his advice. Takeuchi was not only appreciated by librarians but also journalists and men of letters.

View full abstract