bibliography on library literature in japan

Bibliography on Library Literature in JapanAuthor(s): Adrian JonesSource: The Library Quarterly, Vol. 41, No. 1 (Jan., 1971), pp. 54-60Published by: The University of Chicago PressStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4306046 .

Accessed: 22/06/2014 22:22

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range ofcontent in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new formsof scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected].

.

The University of Chicago Press is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to TheLibrary Quarterly.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 195.34.79.253 on Sun, 22 Jun 2014 22:22:27 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=ucpress

http://www.jstor.org/stable/4306046?origin=JSTOR-pdf

http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp


BIBLIOGRAPHY ON LIBRARY LITERATURE IN JAPAN

ADRIAN JONES

ABSTRACT

Japanese bibliographies of library literature are reviewed, and the history, scope, content, and form of bibliographies and indexes covering writings from 1868 to the present are discussed. Comprehensive, although not complete guides exist from 1868 to 1940 and from 1950 to the present. Fragmentary guides to publications from 1940 to 1949 are listed and lacunae pointed out.

Japanese readers with an interest in library science are generally well ac- quainted with the principal sources of information on the subject in western languages, as well as with the bibliographical tools that can be employed to scan past and current library literature. On the other hand, non-Japanese readers with an interest in Japanese library history, development, and practice are more than likely to overlook the existence of the considerable body of Japanese library literature long in print, and to be unaware of the bibliographical tools that are the key to it. Even Western scholars with a reading knowledge of the language who might be frequently assisted in their research if they could study unfamiliar Japanese library practices will find it difficult to discover a treatment of Japanese library literature in one place. The pur- pose of this paper, therefore, is to provide a first step toward developing such a treatment by identifying and com- menting on some of the principal bibliographical tools which cover the literature.

The most useful bibliography of bibliographies of library science published in Japan was compiled by an indefatigable Japanese librarian, bibli- ographer, and scholar, Keitaro Amano. It appeared in the Japanese library journal, Toshokan Kai [The library

world], in March 1969 [1]. This list consists of a total of 429 entries covering a period beginning approximately in 1868 and ending with the last mon-ths of 1968-a span of roughly 100 years. The entries refer to books and chapters, sections, or articles taken from books, and include journal and newspaper articles. Bibliographies which have been published in Japan in languages other than Japanese are also included. Every aspect of librarianship is covered in the list. Reference to material dealing with documentation, reading lists, guided reading, or what is professionally bibliographic in nature, is, however, excluded. The arrangement of the entries is an original classified structure with extensive cross-references, and the list provides an invaluable starting point for finding suitable bibliographies on various aspects of the topic. Amano has not been able to examine personally every bibliography listed, and he indicates such entries.

Lists of bibliographies which are the most comprehensive in scope for the years 1868-1939 are again the work of Keitaro Amano. In 1934 he published the first of an annual series of bibliographies of library science in Japan covering the year 1933 [2], while at the same time working hard on a retrospec- tive bibliography covering the period from 1868 to 1932 [31. This last com-

54



BIBLIOGRAPHY ON LIBRARY LITERATURE IN JAPAN 55

pilation-indeed all issues of the bibliography covering the period 1868 to 1939-appeared in the journal Tosho- kan Kenkyu [Library studies], which had a life extending from 1928 until 1943. Although comprehensive coverage of the field is expressly disclaimed by the compiler, no other bibliographical control of such scope and detail exists for the period that it covers. Be- fore Amano's first list was published in 1934, a regular feature of the journal Toshokan Kenkyu since 1931 had been a listing of the principal articles dealing with libraries appearing in American, European, and Chinese journals,' but no similar listing of articles appearing in Japanese journals was to be found anywhere. Amano set out to remedy the deficiency [4]. These early lists appear in a classified arrangement that follows a section of the third revised edition of the Nihon Decimal Classifi- cation system dealing with libraries and library science. This can be found con- veniently summarized in volume 15 of the Toshokan Kenkyu [5].

For the period from 1868 to 1932 only books and journal articles were included in Amano's list, while mate- rials in publications such as newsletters put out by libraries and various irregu- lar library reports were excluded. Also excluded for these years were references to specific library catalogs and their supplements, although the compiler commented that he hoped one day to produce an additional list to supply all such items. Monographs listed are clearly distinguishable from other material by an asterisk and by the fuller treatment given to such entries, which

sometimes includes a full table of contents, the number of copies printed in various editions, and the location of book reviews where there were any.

In the issue covering 1933, coverage increased to include a number of the more important library newsletters, principally those put out by the prefec- tural libraries. His hope expressed in this issue that all the major published' works in the field had been mentioned in the list seems to suggest less than complete confidence. Subsequently, even more library newsletters and bul- letins were included, as well as items missed in the previous year's lists. (The number of titles mentioned increased from eighteen in 1933 to twenty-eight in 1934, thirty-seven in 1935, and forty-three in 1936.) In 1936 general library catalogs were included, along with articles not strictly related to library science, but which appeared in publications put out by libraries. How- ever, the compiler admitted that coverage was less than complete for 1937 and 1938, and he hoped to remedy that incompleteness with a later supplement. In 1939, however, events of national and international significance made suspension of the bibliography neces- sary.

The classified arrangement used by Amano in covering the years 1868 to 1939 is a detailed one, covering every aspect of librarianship as it had de- veloped at that time. Included are references to articles and monographs on the philosophy behind library work as seen by Japanese authors. Entries refer to library movements both within Japan and without, library relationship to education, library glossaries, library histories, biographies of librarians (principally Japanese), etc. Adminis- trative problems within a library orga- nization, and also in relation to national

1 "Toshokan kankei zasshi shuyo rondai mokuroku" [List of principal journal articles relating to libraries]. Locations of this regular feature are best found by checking the general index (Sosaku- in) of the journal under the heading "Toshokan kankei zasshi," expressed in roman letters.



56 THE LIBRARY QUARTERLY

and local government, were not forgot- ten, nor were problems attendant on such matters as library construction and furnishing, and the like. Entries were included referrimg to all kinds of libraries-public, private, general, special, school, and children's libraries- so that it can be said that a truly comprehensive key to the library literature of the period was provided.

The decade from 1940 to 1949 was one of confusion and attempts to over- come it have been ineffective. Even now, nothing resembling full bibliographical control of the material published in this period exists, at least in the well-organized form it had before 1940. Various selected lists were published, however, some of which are mentioned below.

More comprehensive coverage was resumed in 1950, when Amano put out a list of papers on library science [6] in the library journal Toshokan Kai, which in many ways is the successor of the defunct prewar Toshokan Kenkyu.2 In the course of making a few intro- ductory remarks on the new beginning, Amano stated his intention of publish- ing an annual list. He appealed to readers to inform him of any library literature that might have escaped gen-

eral attention, especially during the years 1940 to 1949, so that he might later include them in a bibliography covering the years of confusion. How- ever, his efforts in this subject area did not continue beyond coverage of two more years, 1951 and 1952 [7], proba- bly because of the appearance of other adequate, commercially published bibliographies.

The principal example of the latter has been published since 1950 in the Japan Publications Yearbook,8 which, although suffering in comparison with the quality of Amano's work, nonethe- less very nearly covers the field. Two sections of this yearbook comprise the library science bibliography. The first is that part of the catalog of all trade publications (or more nearly accurate- ly, trade monographs) dealing with libraries, books, and library science, published in Japan in a given year, and falling under the Nihon Decimal Clas- sification system numbers 010-099 in its latest edition. This publication has now had a continuous life of more than twenty years, and there seems little reason to think that it will cease coming out in any unexpected fashion. It is also current; once a year a single list is published covering the full previous year, which is supplemented by a list appearing three times each month in the Skuppan Nyuzu [Publications News].4 This latter list is finally cumu- lated at the end of each year, and forms perhaps the most important section of the Publications Yearbook mentioned above. This bibliography lists only trade publications; privately printed works would be overlooked here as they

' Toshokan Kai [The library world] began publication in May 1947, and now comes out six times each year. Some of Japan's most authoritative writers on library science regularly contribute ar- tides to the journal, which is the organ of a group known as the Toshokan Kenkyukai (The Japan Institution for Library Science]. In many ways this group is the successor of the pre-Pacific War Osaka-based group, called Seinen Toshokan- in Renmei [League of Young Librarians], and was responsible for the outstanding library journal, often referred to above, Toshokan Kenkyu. The fact that all the contributors to the very first issue of Toshokan Kai had been active mem- bers of the prewar League suggests direct suc- cession-men, such as Masao Senda, Noriaki Ono, Fujio Mamiya, Keitaro Amano, Seiichi Kitera, and Juntaro Saito. All had been regular contributors to the prewar journal.

'Shuppan Nenkan has come out annually as one of the main publications of a company called the Shuppan Nyuzu-sha [Publications News Co., Ltd.].

'Shuppan Nyusu is also published by the Shuppan Nyusu-sha.




might well not have been in Amano's work. No descriptive or analytic annotations are included with th'is list, but merely author, title, physical classification symbol, price, publisher, and the Nihon Decimal Classification system number.

The second section included in the Publications Yearbook is entitled "To- sho-toshokan kankei zasshi kiji sakuin" [Index to periodical literature referring to books and libraries] which began by covering the periodical literature on the subject in some sixty listed journals published in 1952. This index has endured and also shows signs of a long life. Cov- erage has varied over the years; approximately 150 titles are regularly examined. Some issues do not list the number scanned, and others do not list the titles; a concise list of titles perused, however, has frequently been appended to the index. Once again, this list is current, and is supplemented monthly in the third issue of each month's Shuppan Nyuzu. The cumulation of the twelve monthly installments appears annually in the Publications Yearbook. Beneath each subject heading, the entries are the titles of the articles arranged according to the order of the Japanese phonetic syllabary. Each title is followed by the author's name; the title of the source periodical follows in parentheses. Al- though the coverage of this index is ad- mittedly often extensive, there is a considerable problem in discerning among the entries what is trivial and what is not. In many indexes, one can be guided in coming to a conclusion by the number of pages indicated in the entry for the article, if the title itself is of little help, but the entries in this index merely list a title, a volume number if there is any, and the number of the issue in which the article appeared. One might have thought that today, when indexes

are so frequently used for determining the cost of reproduction of articles, page numbers indicating both the beginning and the end of an article might have seemed a small but natural detail to have included. On the other hand, this index is designed by a com- mercial publisher to promote sales of publications, among other things, not to encourage their reproduction outside trade channels. For the same reason, one must take note of the tendency for the index to include a proportionately greater number of entries dealing with the book trade than had been custom- ary in Amano's work.

A student interested in Japanese library science bibliography must first turn to the annual Shuppan Nenkan for a bibliographic tool approaching comprehensive coverage of the literature from 1953 down to the last integral year, and to the journal Skuppan Nyuzu for coverage of the last few months in order to determine the latest trade books put out in the field and to find the latest periodical articles on the subject.

As pointed out above, 1940-49 are the years least comprehensively covered in any single listing. A brief list of ten monographs published on library science since the end of World War II can be found in the June 1949 issue of the journal Toshokan Kai, but there are no annotations, simply author, title, publisher, date of publication, physical classification of volume, and price [8]. Much more valuable, because of the signed descriptive and critical annotations with each entry, is a list published in the same journal in April 1952, entitled Introduction to library bibliography [9]. Most of the titles included in this list were published in the late 1940s and early 1950s and clearly show an active interest on the part of the library




community of that period. In all, fifty- seven works are reviewed in this list. Another useful source covering library science books in Japanese published during 1946-52 can be found in the 1952 edition of the Japan Library As- sociation's Library Handbook [10]. The list of 147 entries is divided into thirteen broad subject categories, but there are no annotations.

Journal articles published on the subject during 1941-42 can be found listed in the Shoseki Nenkan published in 1942 but covering 1941 [ 11 ] and in the Nihon Shuppan Nenkan published in 1943 but covering 1942 [12]. Coverage in both these last mentioned lists, however, is severely selective, not at all comprehensive, although both lists were compiled by Keitaro Amano. Addition- al publications for the period, however, may be uncovered by examining other selective bibliographies which may mention them in passing.

In bibliographies that aim to be comprehensive, it is with some difficulty that one distinguishes the wheat from the chaff. Such lists, on the other hand, do serve to provide a notion of how well or how poorly any particular subject has been dealt with in the literature. Bibliographies of selected items are often, however, of more value to those who are looking for an answer to an important question in scholarship, especially if critical annotations are also provided. Depending on the particular aspect of the subject, there are nu- merous such specialized lists. Since this paper is meant to provide merely an introduction to the more general, and, where possible, the more comprehensive, bibliographical coverage, I shall not describe any of the more specialized lists here.

However, it may be helpful to discuss three indexes, each covering the material published over a long period in

one of three authoritative Japanese library journals; for much, if not most, of the information any en- quirer into the Japanese library world might want to find, may readily be found within the volumes of these journals. Certainly such information gleaned therein could lead to an ap- propriate source. The first journal is the official publication of the Japan Li- brary Association, the Toshokan Zas- ski [Library Journal], which has been published almost without interruption since 1907. The index, entitled the To- shokan Zasshi Sosakuin [Library Jour- nal-General Index], was published by the association as a separate mono- graph in 1964 and covers all the issues of the journal from 1907 to the end of 1960 [13]. The entries, filling 225 pages, are arranged in a basically alpha- betical order, determined by the pho- netics of the Japanese pronunciation of broad subject headings and the names of authors. Many entries are repeated, once under the authors' names, where all their works published in the journal will be found together in one place; and again under the particular subject heading. Using such an index, it is not difficult to see at a glance who the more prolific writers in the journal were, and determine at the same time their areas of interest. General indexes to the To- shokan Zasshi have preceded the one mentioned here, one coming out in 192 7 covering 1907-25 [14], and another appearing in 1951, covering the years 1907 -50 [15]. It is hoped that a cumulation, perhaps covering the years 1907-70, may be published before too long.

A second journal already mentioned above is the Toshokan Kenkyu [Li- bary studies], which spanned the years 1928-43. It contains the writings of many nationally influential figures in Japan's prewar library world. Many of them were also influential in the years




immediately following the Pacific War. The general index to the Toshokan Kenkyu, covering all the years of life of the journal, was published in 1944 [16]. One important and potentially helpful difference to those unfamiliar with Japanese proper names is the fact that entries are both in the original form of Japanese name and characters, and in a romanized form. Subject names and the title of most of the articles are also translated into English in parentheses next to their Japanese equiv- alents.

The third and last journal index that I wish to mention covers the Toshokan Kai. In July 1969, the distribution of its general index covering issues numbers 1 to 100 was advertised (1947-67).

In the account given above, I have pointed to the existence of comprehensive bibliographies which have attempted to cover the field of Japanese library science from 1868 to the present. I have not included any mention of the more general bibliographic tools which try to cover all fields of Japanese literary production, such as the Japa- nese National Bibliography [171], which has attempted to list annually all Japa- nese publications received by the Na- tional Diet Library since 1949. The Japanese Periodicals Index [18], published by the same library, is a selective index of journal articles covering all fields which the compilers have judged to be important. The national bibliography is not limited to the inclusion of trade publications alone, and thus may very well be a useful additional source in which to search for monographs dealing with our subject. Its main deficiency is that it is not up-to-date. On the other hand, the Japanese periodicals index is a highly selective rather than comprehensive source.

For those who lack the time to dig for their own material, a very useful source is a helpful and enlightening survey of trends in the world of Japanese library science, which can be found in two important issues of the journal Toshokan Kai. The first, published in August 1959, devotes the whole issue to the special subject entitled, "The development of library science in postwar Japan" [19]. The first seven articles deal with trends in the writing of library history in Japan, problems in cataloging and classification work in Japan, problems of library service, children's library work, and finally, general problems of bibliography. Additional articles discuss, separately, develop- ments in public libraries, academic libraries, special libraries, and the development of organizations which as- sist library research. The second was also published as a special issue in November 1967 [20], and is somewhat similar in structure to the first, except that the treatment of each subject is fuller, and more concerned with tracing an historical background to each subject dealt with. It is also much more amply provided with bibliographical references. Many of the authors in this second survey were also authors dealing with the same subjects in the first, so that some form of continuous per- spective has been maintained. It is principally because of the references to library literature in Japanese published during the ten years covered by the surveys and imbedded in the inter- pretative narrative that I have thought it useful to speak of these surveys here. Since the first survey appeared as a special issue no. 50 of the journal and the second as a special issue no. 100, it is to be hoped that a third continu- ing survey will appear as a special no. 150 issue.




REFERENCES

1. Amano, Keitaro. "Toshokangaku shoshi no shoshi" LA bibliography of bibliographies of library science in Japan]. Toshokan Kai 20 (1969): 201-31.

2. Amano, Keitaro. "Toshokan bunken mokuroku. Showa hachinen-bun" [A bibliography of library science in Japan-1933]. Toshokan Kenkyu 7 (1934): 341-52.

3. Amano, Keitaro. "Toshokan bunken mokuroku. Showa shichinen-matsu" [A bibliography of library science in Japan until the end of 1932]. Toshokan Kenkyu 14 (1941): 81-112, 249-94, 403-20, 521-56; 15 (1942): 299-325.

4. Amano, Keitaro. (Annual bibliographies covering the years immediately following 1933). Toshokan Kenkyu (for 1934) 8 (1935): 85-102; (for 1935) 9 (1936): 115- 34; (for 1936) 10 (1937): 83-106; (for 1937 and 1938) 12 (1939): 59-75, 169- 93; (for 1939) 13 (1940): 243-78.

5. "Toshokangaku bunken mokuroku-mo- kuji" [Bibliography of library science- contents]. Toshokan Kenkyu 15 (1942): 323-25.

6. Amano, Keitaro. "Toshokangaku bunken mokuroku" [List of papers on library science-1950]. Toshokan Kai 2 (1951): 109-20.

7. Amano, Keitaro. "Toshokangaku bunken mokuroku-Showa nijurokunen-bun" [Bib- liography of library science-195 1]. Toshokan Kai 3 (1952): 109-20; (for 1952) 5 (1953): 5S6-87.

8. "Shusengo hakko no toshokan kankei tosho" [Books relating to libraries published since the end of the war]. Toshokan Kai 1 (1949): 49.

9. "Toshokan bunken shokai" [Introduction

to library bibliography]. Toshokan Kai 3 (1952): 150-60.

10. Nihon Toshokan Kyokai. Toshokan Han- dobukku, pp. 690-95. Tokyo, 1952.

11. "Toshokan-bunko (shoshigaku kankei bunken mokuroku) Showa jurokunen" [Li- braries and book collections-list of literature relating to bibliography-1941]. Shoseki Nenkan Showa jushichinen-pan, pp. 969-71. Tokyo: Kyodo shuppan-sha, 1942.

12. "Toshokan-bunko (shoshigaku kankei bunken mokuroku) Showa jurokunen" [Libraries and book collections-list of literature relating to bibliography-1942]. Nihon Shuppan Nenkan. Tokyo: Kyodo shuppan-sha, 1943.

13. Toshokan Zasshi Sosakuin 1907-1960. Tokyo: Japan Library Association, 1964.

14. Toshokan Zasshi Sosakuin 1907-1925. Osaka: Mamiya Shoten, 1927.

15. Toshokan Zasshi Sosakuin, jishotai sakuin 1907-1950. Tokyo: Ministry of Education, 1956.

16. Toshokan Kenkyu Sosakuin. Osaka: Seinen Toshokan-in Renmei, 1944.

17. Zen Nihon Shuppanbutsu So-mokuroku. Tokyo: National Diet Library, 1951-.

18. Zasshi KiJi Sakuin. Tokyo: National Diet Library, 1948-.

19. "Tokushu: Sengo Nihon ni okeru toshokangaku no hatten" [Special issue: development of library science in postwar Ja- pan]. Toshokan Kai, vol. 11, no. 50 (1959).

20. "Tokushu: Saikin junen ni okeru toshokangaku no hatten" [Special issue: recent development of Japanese librarianship for ten years]. Toshokan Kai, vol. 19, no. 100 (1967).



bibliography on library literature in japan

Documents