Library and Information Science Education in Japan in the 21st Century
By Takako Yamamoto; Zensei Oshiro
- Introduction
Japan is one of the most literate nations. Japan is always among the top nations in OECD’s PISA. Japan has a number of libraries and book stores. These things are relatively well known to foreign countries. However, library and information science education in Japan is not well known. This article describes library and information science education in Japan, including Japan’s libraries and library staff.
- Libraries and Library Staff
There are3,234 public libraries in Japan in 2012, including 60 prefectural libraries. 2,560 of these libraries are city libraries, which means that about 90% of Japanese cities have public libraries. 594 of the total public libraries are town or village libraries, which means that about 54% of the Japanese towns and villages have public libraries. The condition that only 54% of the Japanese towns and villages have public libraries is considered as a big problem in Japan’s library sector, from the point of view of equal access to information.1)
Prefectural libraries in Japan, which are almost equal with state libraries in foreign countries, are considered and classified as public libraries because most of them loans books to individual users, including children’s books. Japanese children can visit prefectural librariesand borrow library materials. There are 20 public libraries in Japan which are operated by private organizations.2)
Regarding withthe library staff in the public libraries, there are 9,149 full-time library staff in city libraries in 2012, with 4,616 of them havingcertificates of either librarian or library assistant. Those who have certificate of either a librarian or a library assistant are regarded as professionals in Japan. There are 850 full-time library staffworking in the town and village libraries, with 488 of them havingabovecertificates. There are 1,580 full-time library staff in the prefectural libraries, with 913 of them having thosecertificates. There are 73 full-time library staff in privately operated public libraries, with 36 of them having those certificates.3)
In the field of academic libraries, there are a total of 1,679 libraries in 2012. There are 86 national universitiesand these universities have 293 libraries. There are82 prefectural and city universities, having122libraries. There are 597 private universities, having 989 libraries. There are369 junior colleges,having 214 libraries. The reason that the number of junior college libraries is less than that of the junior colleges is becausesome junior colleges are established as annexes of universities and in those cases, the junior college students are supposed to use theuniversity libraries. There are 58 technical colleges, having 61 libraries. 4)
Regarding with the library staff in the academic libraries, there are 1,629 full-time staff working in 293 national university libraries. 1,244 persons out of these staff have librarian’s certificate, which is oneoriented for public libraries. There are 255 full-time staff working in 82 prefectural and city university libraries, with 172 staff with librarian’s certificate. There are4,909 full-time staffworking in 597 private university libraries, with 1,981 staff with librarian’s certificate. There are working 227 full-time staff working in 214 junior college libraries, with 186 staff with librarian’s certificate. There are 69 full-time staffworkingin 61 technical college libraries, with 42 staff with librarian’s certificate.5)
There are 20,980 elementary schools, 10,495 junior high schools, 5,001 senior high schools, and 2,500 other kinds of schools in 2012. Japan has aSchool Library Act which states that a school must have a library. Therefore, every school has some kind of library. There are 13,543 elementary school libraries (65% of the total) which have teacher librarians (shishokyoyu). There are 6,422 junior high school libraries (61% of the total) which have teacher librarians. There are 4,159 senior high school libraries (83% of the total) which have teacher librarians. 6)
- Education for Public Librarians
There is a Library Act in Japan, which is actually a law for public libraries. The Actstatesas follows:
(Librarians and Assistant Librarians)
Article 4. Professional personnel of libraries shall be called librarians (shisho) and assistant librarians (sishoho).
2. Librarians shall be engaged in professional works of the libraries.
3. Assistant Librarians shall assist librarians as their duties.
(Qualifications for Librarians)
Article 5. Those who satisfy one of the following provisions shall be qualified as librarians.
(1) Graduates of academic institutions who have completed library science courses under the provisions of theMinistry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology ( MEXT)’s ordinance.
(2)Graduates of academic institutionswho have completed the training program for librarians under the provisions of next Article.
(3) Those who have three years or more of experience at the following positions and have completed the training course for librarians under the provisions of next Article.
* assistant librarians
* (omitted) 7)
3.1 MEXT’sOrdinance andCertificate for Public Librarian
MEXTissued an Ordinance to Partially Revise Enforcement Regulation of Library Act in 2009. According to the Ordinance, those who desire to earn a certificate asa public librarian must at least 24 credit hours of the library science courses (22 credit hours of core courses and 2 credit hours of elective courses), which are listed in the Ordinance. Those courses are as follows:
[Core Courses]
*Lifelong Learning (2 credit)
*Introduction to Library Science (2 credit)
*Library Systems and Management (2 credit)
*Library and Information Technology (2 credit)
*Introduction to Library Services (2 credit)
*Information Services(2 credit)
*Services to Children (2 credit)
*Seminar in Information Services (2 credit)
*Introduction to Library and Information Resources (2 credit)
*Organization of Information Resources (2 credit)
*Seminar in Information Resources (2 credit)
[Elective Courses] (Two courses must be completed)
*Special Topic in Library Science (1 credit)
* Special Topic in Library Services (1 credit)
* Special Topic in Library and Information Resources (1 credit)
*History of Books and Libraries (1 credit)
*Library Facilities (1 credit)
*Comprehensive Seminar in Library Science (1 credit)
*Practicum (1 credit)8)
3.2 Academic Institutions Which Offer Public Librarian Certificate Programs
There are 156 universities and colleges which offer public librarian certificate programs in 2012. In addition, there are 58 junior colleges which offer the same kind of programs.9) There are 12 universities and colleges which offer summer intensive training programs forthe public librarian certificate in 2013. There is one junior college which offers the same kind of program.10)
- Education for Teacher Librarians
There is a School Library Act in Japan. The Act states as follows:
(Teacher Librarian)
Article 5. There must be a teacher librarian in a school library who shall be engaged in professional works of the library.
2. A senior teacher, mentor, or teacher can be appointed as a teacher librarian. In such case, the teacher must have completed the training program for teacher librarians.
3. (omitted)
4. MEXT’ s ordinance shall describe concerning the courses for the training program.
4.1 MEXT’sOrdinance and Certificate for Teacher Librarians
MEXTissued an Ordinance in 2007 which describes the regulations concerning the courses for the training program for teacher librarians.11)The Ordinance states that a person who wants to earn a certificate of school librarian must complete the following courses.
* School Administration and School Library (2 credit)
* School Library Media and their Organization (2 credit)
* Class Teaching and School Library (2 credit)
*Reading and Personality (2 credit)
* Use of Information Media (2 credit)
Considering both the School Library Act and above MEXT’ s ordinance, a teacher librarian is a person who has a teacher’s license and completed ten credit hours of school librarianship.
4.2Academic Institutions which offer Teacher Librarian Certificate Programs
There are 170 universities and colleges which offer teacher librarian certificate programs in 2012. There are 23 junior colleges which offer the same kind of programs. 12) There are 44 universities and colleges which offer summer intensive training programs for the teacher librarian certificate in 2013. There is one junior college which offers the same kind of program.13)
- Education for Academic Librarians
There is noact for academic librarians in Japan.There are not librarians classified as professionals in many academic libraries in Japan. It is one of the wonders how Japanese academic libraries can function in such a personnel policy in the digital age.Both Japan Library Association and MEXT report the total number of staff and the number of staff who have public librarian’s certificate, when they compile a statistics of the staff of the academic libraries, as described in chapter one. It is expected that MEXT official report in the future will be made of the number of staff who have academic or professional librarian’s certificate, in addition to the total number of the staff. There is a MEXT Ordinance which states about the academic (professional)librarians in the academic library. This is Standards for Establishment of UniversitiesTheStandards issued in 2006states as follows:
Article 38. 3. A university shall hire professionals and other full-time staff for the library so that the library can function.14)
This Article can be interpreted that a university is supposed to hire academic or professional librarians in its library. However, the managerial people in the academic community say that the professionals in the Ordinance don’t necessarily mean academic (professional) librarians. Providing that it is made clear that the professionals in the Ordinance mean professional librarians, there arises another problem. There is no document to state the qualifications of academic (professional) librarians.MEXT should be blamed for the lack of this kind of document. In addition, Japan Library Association as a professional body should be blamed for this problem because the Association has made no expected effort in order to provide an entry-level education for academic librarians. Both Japan Association of National University Libraries and Japan Association of Private University Libraries, both of which membership is the library, have also made no effort in order to establish professional librarianship system in the academic libraries, including the discussion of necessity of providing an entry-level education for academic librarians.
However, there are some universities, which offer library and information science education as an academic discipline, train their students so that they find their employments in the academic libraries.
- Library and Information Science Education as a Professional and Academic Discipline
There are about 10 universities which offer library and information science education as a professional andacademic discipline. Aprofessional and academic discipline is meant here that library and information science education is mainly offered as a major or a department in undergraduate programs or as a graduate program.
6.1 Keio University
One of these universities is Keio University, a private university, which is the oldest that has offered library and information science education as a professional and academic discipline. The School of Library and Information Science of the University was set up in 1951. American Library Association helped in its earlier program. Robert L. Gitler, who was then Dean of University of Washington library school, was invited to serve as the first director of the School. The objectives of the School are to train professionals for various types of libraries or information related organizations, to give recurrent education for the persons working in the libraries, and to promote research in the field of library and information science. The school has produced many leading librarians, information specialists, researchers, and faculty memberssince its establishment.15)
The School offered a master’s degree program in 1967, with emphasis on information science, and a Ph.D. program in 1975.The School has 8 full-time faculty, teaching in both undergraduate and graduate programs. The School accepts 60 new students every year in the undergraduate program, which is a fixed number of students regulated by MEXT. It means that The School has always enrolled about 240 students in the undergraduate program.16)
A Master’s Degree program of the School is divided into the two courses: Library and Information Science Course and the Information Resource Management Course. The objectives of the Library and Information Science Course are the advancement of library and information science research as well as the training of highly specialized information-related professionals. All the classes offered are essentially advanced courses of the undergraduate program, composed of three main groups; information systems, information media, and information retrieval and processing.
The Information Resource Management Course aims at the recurrent education of librarians and other information professionals, starting to offer in 2004. This course emphasizes the current information and communication technology, administration and management of an information center such asa library. The course also emphasizes the developing the abilities of communication and problem-solving skills through discussions with incumbent professionals and the faculty. The classes for this degree program are offered at night. It is difficult for working librarians to earn a master of library and information science degree because most of the classes for the degree are offered at the daytime.17)(As online education diffuses in Japan in the future, the situation will change.)
The required period of attendance for both courses is two years. Students are conferred a Master's degree when they finish course work by earning 32 credit hours and submitting Master's theses, which is a common practice in the master’s program in Japan.
Courses for aMaster of Arts in Library and Information Science are as follows:
*Advanced information science 1-4
*Seminar of advanced information science 1-2
*Advanced information media 1-4
* Seminar of advance information media 1-2
*Advanced information storage and retrieval 1-4
*Seminar of advanced information storage and retrieval 1-2
*Advanced information systems 1-4
*Seminar of advanced information systems 1-2
*Research methods 1-2
*Information analysis 1-2
The objectives of the Ph.D. Degree Program are the advancement of library and information science research and training of researchers. The required period of attendance is three years. Under the advice of the supervisor, a student prepares for a dissertation, together with course work with attainment of at least 4 credits each year. 18)
6.2 TheUniversity of Tsukuba
The second university which offers library and information science education as a professional and academic disciplineis the University of Tsukuba, a national university. The Universityhas College of Knowledge and Library Sciences (as a part of Schoolof Informatics) as an undergraduate program and Graduate School of Library, Information and Media Studies as a graduate program.
When tracing a short history of thelibrary and information science education atthe University of Tsukuba, it is originated in Junior College of Library Science established in 1964. The Junior College offered information science in 1971, which wascalled ‘documentation,’ at that time.In 1979 the College was restructured into The University of Library and Information Science (ULIS), a national university. ULIS offered a master’s and doctoral programs in 1984 and in 1999 respectively. ULIS was consolidated with the University of Tsukuba in 2002,and its name was changed into the presentformin 2006.
The College of Knowledge and Library Sciences, which is an undergraduate program, has the following three majors:
(1)Knowledge studies (Includes information behavior)
(2)Knowledge systems (Includes information technology)
(3)Information and library management
The College accepts 110 new students every year, which is a fixed number of students regulated by MEXT. It means that The College has enrolled always about 440 students in theundergraduate program. The College, in addition to bachelor’s degree, offers both public librarian and teacher librarian certificate programs.
Concerning about the Graduate School of Library, Information and Media Studies, the Schooloffers four programs for Master's degrees: MSc program for Informatics, MSc program for Library and Information Studies, MSc English program for Library and Information Studies, and MSc Career-up program for Library and Information Studies. MSc program for Informatics is designed for those who would like to pursue a career in information system administrators, media creators, and system designers, based on the training of information technologies. MSc program for Library and Information Studiesis designed for those who would like to pursue not only academic faculty, but also professional librarians and archivists who are knowledgeable with the issues such as copyright, privacy, security, information distribution, and related social systems.
MSc English program for Library and Information Studiesis designed for international students who would like to pursue a careerin information professionals in theglobal context. In particular, this program aims to provide students with an opportunity to learn Japanese advanced information, knowledge and skills for the management, and delivery methods of information resources. This is a two-year program and can be completed in English only.
MSc Career-up program for Library and Information Studiesis designed for those who are currently working in the sector of library & information science and would like to advance their knowledge and skills. This program is offered for part-time students. The students in other programs are not allowed to convert to this program due to significant difference in the educational system.
Courses for MSc program for Library and Information Studies are as follows:
Core Courses (2 credit)
*Nature of Knowledge and Information
*System Thinking
*Legal Studies on Internet Issues
*Management and Utilization of the Intellectual Property
*History of Libraries and Communication Medias
*Information Seeking and Retrieval
*Theories of Information Behavior
*Professional Communication
*Requirements Analysis and Project Management
*Seminar A (Library and Information Science)
*Advanced Seminar 2 (Library and Information Science)
*SeminarB
*Seminar C
Elective Courses
(20 credit hours of lecture courses are completed among elective courses of the Graduate School of Library, Information and Media Studies, and at least 12 credit hours of courses should be taken from a list below which are in the field of Library and Information Studies)
*Text Analysis