Japanese public libraries: growing in significance in line with the changing times

In the 1970s, lending services, children’s services, and area-wide services became the focus of public libraries

It was in the 1970s that lending-centered services became established as a function of libraries.

Originally, libraries in Japan operated under a closed stack system, where people received books they wanted to read from librarians. However, during the postwar occupation period, several CIE libraries were established in Japan with an open stack system, which allowed users to freely pick up books as they do today. CIE libraries were established by the Civilian Information and Education Section (CIE), a branch of the GHQ, and were modeled on American public libraries. In the 1950s, however, the number of books was extremely small, and the collections consisted mainly of academic and educational books, which were unfamiliar to the general public. As a result, libraries were used primarily as study spaces for students rather than for lending.

In 1963, when people’s lifestyles were changing as Japan entered the high economic growth period, the Japan Library Association, a national organization of various libraries in Japan, released a report titled Management of Public Libraries in Small and Medium Cities to promote libraries. It presented guidelines for library reforms, mainly targeting libraries in municipalities with populations of 50,000 to 200,000.

The report, commonly known as the Small and Medium Cities Report, clearly stated that the essential function of libraries is the provision of materials. It explained that a high budget for purchasing materials is necessary for libraries to be fully utilized, and that municipal libraries, which provide services directly to users, rather than prefectural libraries, should serve as the core of public libraries.

To further examine the content of the Small and Medium Cities Report, the Japan Library Association launched a Public Library Promotion Project in 1968 and published the results in a report titled Citizens’ Library in 1970. The report identified three priority objectives: lending services, to smoothly lend books that the public want; children’s services, to meet the reading needs of children; and area-wide services, to bring libraries closer to the public.

Until then, libraries had essentially provided materials on the premise that they could be viewed on the spot; however, with this as an opportunity, lending services, which allow users to take out and use materials, expanded nationwide. Also, depending on the size of the municipality, some people did not have a library nearby, even in the same municipality. As this could lead to disparities in the use of libraries, the Japan Library Association aimed for area-wide services, which enabled people to use libraries in the same fashion, regardless of where they lived in the municipality. Specifically, measures were taken to establish branch libraries and to build a network that allowed as many people as possible to access library materials through bookmobiles loaded with books.

While the COVID-19 pandemic popularized e-book services, the value of libraries as spaces increased

The next major transformation of public libraries occurred around the year 2000.

As the bubble economy burst, when the economic and social situation fell into significant stagnation, people came to face a variety of issues to resolve in their daily lives and work. As decentralization reforms advanced further in the 21st century, it became necessary for each citizen to address regional issues with sufficient information and knowledge.

In the midst of this, in 2006, an expert panel established by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology to examine the ideal way of libraries released a report titled The future of library -To be the information center of the region-. In the report, it was pointed out that libraries need to play the role of regional information centers by focusing on reference services, which provide materials and information useful for addressing residents’ issues, in addition to conventional lending services.

This prompted libraries to widely provide problem-solving support services. As libraries provided intellectual and information resources, their new role in contributing to people’s daily lives and work emerged.

In the 2010s, further advances in information and communication technology led more libraries to introduce e-book services. According to a survey by the Association for E-publishing Business Solution, the percentage of public libraries offering e-book services was 5.1% in 2014, 12.8% in 2020, and 50.7% in 2024. The rapid adoption of e-book services since 2020 was largely due to the Special Grants for Regional Revitalization as COVID-19 Response established during the pandemic. To prevent the spread of infection, more libraries began offering e-book services using these grants. During the pandemic, contactless lending services for paper books also became common, allowing users to reserve books in advance and pick them up from lockers without interacting with librarians.

While the digitization and networking of materials in library services have advanced, the core functions of libraries, which are collecting, storing, searching, browsing, and lending materials, have been reconsidered, with renewed focus on services provided in physical library spaces. In various spaces within libraries, people can not only read and study quietly, but also hold discussions and group work, as well as events and courses, where people can interact and learn from each other.

Since around 2000, when e-books began to increase, some have suggested that physical libraries might become unnecessary. Nevertheless, their roles can be said to be expanding beyond providing books and materials.

Library initiatives consistent with the SDGs’ philosophy of “Leaving No One Behind”

Today’s libraries are also positioned as facilities that can contribute to regional revitalization and the creation of prosperity. Some libraries are integrated with commercial and other public facilities and are developed as core facilities in the community. Combining public facilities can help save construction costs and improve convenience for people.

Residents’ opinions are incorporated into some construction projects through conducting workshops and questionnaires. Libraries built with public participation may continue to involve residents partially in library operations and service provision, for example, by establishing a Friends of the Library group, after the facility is completed. Being involved from the planning and design stages fosters a sense of ownership, which can lead to subsequent collaboration with the library. It can be said that a system in which people support the library has been created.

Moreover, in recent years, there has been growing attention to the fact that library services align with the “Leaving No One Behind” principle of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

To date, libraries have provided materials and information through accessibility services for people with visual, hearing, or other disabilities; senior services for older adults; and multicultural services for foreign nationals whose native language is not Japanese. In a society that values diversity, such library services are likely to become even more important when they are viewed from the perspective of social inclusion.

The IFLA-UNESCO Public Library Manifesto 2022, in which UNESCO member states expressed a common understanding of the essential roles, purposes, and operational principles of public libraries, also indicates the need to place information, literacy, education, inclusiveness, public engagement, and culture at the core of library services as the fundamental missions of public libraries. Furthermore, through these fundamental missions, public libraries are positioned as entities that can contribute to achieving the SDGs and building a more equitable, humane, and sustainable society.

Therefore, to contribute to the achievement of SDG Goal 4, “Quality Education,” libraries around the world are making efforts to improve literacy among children in underprivileged regions, promote reading and learning, and enhance the information literacy skills of older adults.

Japanese libraries are also working to set up information panels and resource sections related to the 17 SDGs, as well as reading aloud and other related events. Some libraries also coordinate and collaborate with other departments within the local government. For example, some libraries raise public awareness by utilizing their materials and information to showcase projects led by other departments aimed at achieving the SDGs.

Libraries have fulfilled their roles by engaging with people and supporting their daily lives and work through the provision of materials and information in various forms, in accordance with social trends. As public facilities that attract visitors and provide familiarity, libraries can leverage their strengths as places for disseminating and sharing information to maximize their value. Even as circumstances change over time, the significance of libraries can be enhanced if libraries and people build and maintain a relationship of mutual support.

* The information contained herein is current as of September 2025.
* The contents of articles on Meiji.net are based on the personal ideas and opinions of the author and do not indicate the official opinion of Meiji University.
* I work to achieve SDGs related to the educational and research themes that I am currently engaged in.

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