Library Councils from the Perspective of the Residents' Will on Public Library Administration

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K00453
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Library and information science/Humanistic social informatics
• Research Institution: Senshu University
• Principal Investigator: Ogiwara Sachiko 専修大学, 経営学部, 教授 (60242137)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 公共図書館 / アメリカ図書館協会 / 住民参加 / 図書館運営

Outline of Final Research Achievements

A survey was conducted from two aspects regarding the formation of residents' will for the public library administration. The first is a fact-finding survey based on the bylaws and regulations of the library council in Japan. As a result, it was found that about 80% of prefectures and municipalities have library council, and the president elected by mutual selection of members has an important position to hold and proceed with the meeting. The second is a documentary search on the administration of public libraries in the United States. It was found that residents are involved in "library boards", "friends of the library", and "library foundations", and their relationship with the library director is in accordance with the concept of governance.

Free Research Field

図書館情報学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の学術的な意義は，図書館サービスの「利用者」ではなく，図書館運営に関与する主体として「住民」の存在に着目していること，及び，「住民意思を尊重し反映する」という公共図書館運営の規範に関して，多様な意見や価値観を有する住民相互の「利害調整」や「合意形成」の必要性を与件とし，住民意思を「形成」するものとして捉えていることにある。社会的意義は，長らく形骸化が指摘される図書館協議会を対象とすることにより，その活性化を図る方策を検討するための新たな知見を提示することにある。