Libraries and librarianship in Japan /

This is one of the finest books on Japanese libraries and librarianship ever written by an American librarian. Welch lived in Japan for 14 years and has visited Japan many times since to gather data and interview librarians. In ten chapters, he traces the development of the country's library system, covering academic, public, national, special, and school libraries. Although three-fourths of Japan's public libraries were destroyed or heavily damaged during World War II, Welch points out that since then there has been a rapid growth, with a total today of 47,100 libraries of all types, including 41,500 school libraries. American educators facing cutbacks in their own school libraries should note that these libraries "exist in practically all schools... due in large part to the Japanese commitment to education and to the value placed in society upon reading." Welch also discusses the history of Japanese library education since 1860. As for the automation that has aided the libraries' rapid progress, the author feels that the "profession in Japan is concerned with the long-term implications of the Internet...[and] the future of libraries and librarians lies in some doubt and uncertainty." With an extensive bibliography of English and Japanese sources, this excellent addition to the literature is highly recommended for all library school collections and scholars of international librarianship.‘R.N. Sharma, West Virginia State Coll. Lib., Institute (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.