This paper investigates the factors that affect the spread of young adult service among public libraries. Questionnaires were sent to six prefectures in the Kanto area, and case studies were carried out in two prefectures. The questionnaires elicited information about the libraries that the public libraries used as a reference when they started the service. The results of the questionnaires were analyzed on the basis of two factors: the centrality and the proportion of references to libraries inside the prefecture. In the case studies, two prefectures were selected on the basis of the spread of the service, and the factors affecting this spread were investigated. The results of the questionnaires showed that the prefectures in which the young adult service prevailed had a high density of centrality, besides a high proportion of references to libraries inside the prefecture. This indicates that, in the prefectures in which the service prevailed, there were model libraries, and information about the service was shared among the libraries. The case studies revealed that the prefecture where the service prevailed had a system for sharing the information about the service through the formation of an informal study group, and the implementation of work-shops by the prefectural library association. In contrast, the other prefecture, where the service did not prevail, had a strong tradition of children's service and young adult service was not adopted by the model library.

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This paper, through the questionnaire, clarified the current state and awareness of human resource development for the staff in special libraries. Based on these results, it also advanced two proposals on how to develop the human resources. This investigation revealed the following four problems: (1) Systems for ability development such as OJT, Off-JT, and self-development are not yet fully prepared. (2) The contents of OJT and Off-JT are currently occupied mostly by the ones concerning with basic knowledge of library work. The most common form of self-development is self-instruction. (3) Non-regular workers have more eagerness to learn but less opportunities and support than regular workers. (4) This paper could not show that OJT is effective to the ability development, but came to the conclusion that it depends on the completeness of Off-JT and the support for self-development. This paper proposed that the Japan Special Libraries Association is required: (1) to help the librarians have more opportunities for their educational training as one part of their work, and (2) to improve the educational system which will enable the librarians to develop their abilities by their own will.

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