The purpose of this study is to clarify the operation of library committee and the relationship between the central library and the department libraries in the Imperial University of Tokyo from a historical perspective. Collection in the department libraries was managed by both of the central library and the department libraries on their own. The library committee, which was established to reflect the counsel of the departments with management of the central library, have discussed about not only management of the central library but also the relationship between the central library and the department libraries after the Great Kanto Earthquake at the latest. From the discussion in the committee, we conclude that the central library did not have strong control over the department libraries, but some departments would like to have control over the central library.

View full abstract

During the occupation period of WWII (World War II) in Japan, the system of the school library in southern United States affected the reform of Japanese school library system. For exploring the origin of the school library specialist training system, this study examined the training system of the librarians from elementary to high schools in the southern United States in 1930s. The study found three points. First, there was lack of school library staffs in southern states in 1930s. Second, the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools have made the standard of the school librarian. They set a high standard for the training system of the school librarian. Third, some of the southern states tried to fulfill the standard. For example, in the South Carolina the state hired many school librarians for high school library, and in the Virginia the state also set a high standard of the school librarian. Therefore, the training system of the school librarian in southern states in 1930s follows the standard of the Southern Association. Furthermore, this study suggested the detail difference of the training system between Japan and America. This study is a part of LIPER2 (Library and Information Professions and Educations Renewal Second) project.

View full abstract