The Historical Development of the Social Responsibility of Libraries in Postwar Japan

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K18331
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 90020:Library and information science, humanistic and social informatics-related
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: FUKUI Yusuke 京都大学, 教育学研究科, 講師 (20759493)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 図書館史 / 社会的責任 / 知的自由 / 中立性 / 図書館の自由

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In the 1950s, library professionals had to be aware of the political or social turmoil in Japanese society. They agreed that libraries must be neutral, but there were a variety of opinions on the concept of library neutrality. Some young library professionals believed that resisting social "bias" was neutrality. On the other hand, the mainstream of the Japanese Library Association believed that libraries, as information centers, should collect and provide all kinds of materials. They cautioned against adopting a particular position on political or social issues from the standpoint of library neutrality. Under these conflicting views, various statements and norms were developed. In the 1960s, the library community became dedicated to library practice and distanced itself from political or social issues. In the 1970s, the basis for the social responsibility of libraries shifted from the concept of library neutrality to freedom of expression.

Free Research Field

図書館情報学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究によって、図書館の社会的責任に関する図書館界の自己認識の系譜や、図書館の中立性をめぐって生じた葛藤や討議の帰趨が明らかになった。特に、戦後図書館界の重要な規範である「図書館の自由に関する宣言」に向けられた重層的な期待を解明したことは、従来の解釈を大きく乗り越え、図書館史研究に貢献した。また、個別的に機能やサービスを扱う従来の視座を越え、社会－図書館観－機能を総合的に捉える枠組みを提示した。