EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM & PRACTICE IN JAPAN

8	“III Japanese Social Education”	Previous	Next	JAPANESE

	Under the Library Law enacted in 1951, a “library” is defined as an institution whose objective is to collect books, records and other necessary materials, to assemble and preserve them, and to make them available for public use so that they can contribute to culture, research and recreation of the people. Also under the law, libraries are divided into two categories according to how they are established. It defines public libraries as those established by a prefecture or a municipality, and private libraries as those established by private entities such as the Japanese Red Cross or corporations defined under Article 34, the Civil Law. In terms of the numbers of libraries established, more than 90% of all the libraries are public libraries. Specialists assigned to libraries are librarians and librarian assistants.