Nakano District Li Shang Gaotian Library
Jiangdong district Lishenchuan Library
Xialuohe library
Book return port
The author's various library cards
Chiyoda District Hibiya Library
Distribution of Libraries in Shi Tian Valley
a surname
There are more than 230 district libraries in Tokyo's 23rd district, with an average of about 10 in each district.
The regional library is like a community convenience center.
The cultivation of reading habits in Tokyo is closely related to the convenient and developed district library system.
Regional library enthusiasts contribute library use skills.
As an international student, in Japan, Japanese friends around you will inevitably ask, "What do you like most about Japan when you come to Japan?" Many friends around me will answer Japanese food, such as delicious sushi and sashimi; Some people will talk about natural or cultural landscapes, such as Mount Fuji and Sensoji Temple. More people will say that it is Japan's prosperous animation culture and so on. Indeed, these are indeed the charm of Japan. However, if you ask me what I like most about Japan, I will definitely answer that it is the convenient and developed Tokyo local library system around me, which I never thought of before I came to Japan.
In the process of learning, with my exploration of nearly 30 libraries in Tokyo and its surrounding areas, I not only enjoyed the rich resources brought by these libraries with their own characteristics, but also really liked these libraries and realized their internal strength and value.
During the construction of 100 years, the Tokyo local library system has developed continuously and reached today's scale. Libraries all over the region have grown up with generations of Tokyo people, and the cultivation of reading habits of Tokyo people is inextricably linked with these convenient libraries.
acquaintance
Tokyo's newest district library "The sparrow is small and complete"
When I first came to Tokyo, I wandered around under the banner of looking for self-study space and professional books, expanding my "territory", and stumbled upon the latest district library in Tokyo-the degenerate library built in 2017, which gave me great motivation to continue exploring the Tokyo district library system.
I asked the staff about the rules of use in unfamiliar Japanese, and after getting a free library card, I began to study the library seriously. The library is small and exquisite. There are only two floors except the top office area. The first floor is mainly the counter, magazines, newspapers, open government information and CD-ROM area. The second floor is a real book display and reading area, and nearly half of it is a children's world. There are four kinds of reading areas. The first is the literary field. In a special literature room, there are only four seats for reading literature. The second is the general reading area, with three big tables, each of which can seat about four people; The row by the window is the computer use area, you can use your own computer, with a charging socket, and there is a partition between the seats to avoid mutual interference; There is also a special study room, which you can use at will even if you don't borrow books from the library. The large-area glass curtain wall makes the lighting very abundant, but this does not affect its excellent sound insulation effect-when there is a continuous passenger railway outside the window, readers can still immerse themselves in silence without being disturbed. The thick carpet absorbs most of the footsteps, which can eliminate noise and prevent the elderly and children from slipping and being injured. In order to relax readers and get a better reading experience, the library also played the sound of forest birds intimately.
At that time, I felt that although the environment here was good, it was only a community library with a small service scope. Most of the textbooks I have found to prepare for the postgraduate entrance examination have to go elsewhere to seek other talents. But through the search in the library, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the professional books I was looking for could be borrowed in this small library! It seems that this place is destined to be my review base. In the next few days, I wandered around the bookshelf and found that there were many books on various professional subjects, besides Japanese literature, English, Chinese, Korean and other foreign language books were also displayed. It's really "the sparrow is small, but it has everything."
As a result, this degenerate library has become a place I must visit almost every day during my preparation for the exam: I not only study for the exam, read novels and magazines, but also go back to my residence through the pubs and alleys of Gaotian Racecourse, shuttling back and forth between the quiet spiritual world and the bustling fireworks of the city. Slowly, I have explored nearly 30 libraries in Tokyo and their surrounding areas-I explored the foreign world with my residence and library as the axis, constantly expanded my "living territory" and felt different colors of life: I read books in Gu Si Library in spring while watching cherry blossoms blooming like clouds outside Shinjuku Imperial Garden; In autumn, I stepped on the fallen leaves of buttonwood to borrow books from Hushan Library. After a day's study in the heron palace library, I bought a bag of candy from an old shop to treat myself. ...
trait
It is easy for Tokyo people to find a library with convenient transportation and thoughtful service.
Tokyo Library is scattered and widely distributed. There are more than 230 district libraries in 23 districts, with an average of about 10 per district. Many districts, such as Setagaya, have 65,438+07 libraries and 7 libraries, while the northern district has 65,438+05 district libraries. Other district libraries, such as Shinjuku, Wenjing and Shibuya, each have 10. Cultural areas have the highest density. Roughly calculated according to the linear distance, you can meet a district library by walking 10 minutes on average. Some are downtown, such as the Friendship Library near Shinjuku, the Toyota Central Library near Ikebukuro, and the Mori Daiwada Library near Shibuya. Some are accompanied by places of interest, such as the Gu Si Library near the Imperial Garden in Shinjuku and the Taitung Central Library near Sensoji Temple. While more libraries are scattered in the following residential areas in the sea of Wang Yang. The libraries in these districts are uniformly planned in all areas of a district, so it is easy for local residents to find the libraries next to them.
In addition, most regional libraries are located in convenient places. Although many libraries are scattered in residential areas, they will not appear very remote because of their juxtaposition with other facilities. Some are set in parallel with the administrative agencies, occupying one floor, such as the heron palace library; Some of them are close to cultural facilities, such as Akio Toyoda Central Library and Daiwada Library in Muli. The upper or lower level of the library is the theater. Others have commercial facilities, such as the Xinjing Library, which is on the top floor of a comprehensive shopping center. This setting originated from the early stage of library construction. In order to save money and popularize quickly, it was set up together with other institutions such as primary schools, but it did improve the accessibility of these libraries, allowing residents to enjoy other services and make use of the library resources at their fingertips. In addition, quite a few district libraries themselves are not far from the station: Ge downtown library, Auzel library, Lijingtang library, etc. , only 1 to 2 minutes' walk from the nearest tram stop; Hometown Library and Chiyu Library are absolutely within 5 minutes from the nearest station, which is very convenient.
Judging from the opening and closing time of the library, many libraries can be opened until 9: 00 p.m. or even 10 at the latest, so that everyone can have more time to read and study in the library, and even people who are off work or have evening classes can relax and recharge in the nearby library. During those days in the library, apart from our international students preparing for exams, retired old people, office workers in suits and ties, local students carrying schoolbags, we were also old listeners of closed music since the New World.
After the library near Shinjuku closes, I sometimes chat with an office worker who often goes the same way when I go to the station by car. He used his time after work to catch up on information technology knowledge in the library. I commend him for his diligence. He said, "instead of going straight home after work and listening to my wife's nagging about low salary with fatigue, it is better to find a place to be quiet and go home later." The library is on the road, closing late, and simply borrowing books to study. " I jokingly asked him, "Your learning motivation is incorrect. Why don't you stop by early? " He replied, "I don't want to move after a tiring day, so I can't study at home." If I have to detour to the library and get kicked out early, I might as well sneak into the bar halfway. "
Regional libraries have various services. Anyone can enter any district library to read. Many libraries have seats and do not need to make a card reservation. But if you want to borrow books and reserve seats, you need to apply for a library card in this area. Library cards are free, just like borrowing books, and no deposit is required. Just show your student ID card and other relevant documents, and it will be completed in a few minutes. Generally speaking, readers can apply for a card not only in the library in the district where they live, but also in the library in the district where they work and go to school, or in the library in the neighboring district. For example, I live in Shinjuku District, work in Taitung District and study in Shibuya District, so I can apply for the cards of the district libraries in the above three districts first. In addition, the cards of district libraries in more than ten districts around it, such as Motian District, bunkyo-ku, Shibuya District, Shibuya District, etc. Generally, it can be handled, covering nearly three quarters of Tokyo's 23rd district. What's more, the regional libraries in Arakawa, Shinagawa, Setagaya, Central, Wenjing and other districts have abolished the geographical restrictions on card issuance, so anyone can apply for a card and enjoy the services of the library.
charm
District-level libraries that "know from the outside"
Although there are many libraries in Tokyo, a single library may be small, but the content of each library is not so general. Just like the library I met for the first time, many district libraries are not only "showing off" but also "wise".
The wisdom of the library can best be reflected in the collection and borrowing of books. The collections of libraries in various districts range from tens of thousands to millions. In addition to newspapers, magazines and CDs, there are literary works such as novels and poems, professional books in the fields of economy and chemical industry, popular books such as gardening and cooking, yearbooks, white papers and other documents. More importantly, according to the new document "Tasks and Objectives of Public Libraries" published in Tokyo in 2004, the minimum standard for libraries to add books every year is 65,438+0/8 to 65,438+0/7 of the number of open shelves, so there are many books, but the proportion of new books is not low. No wonder I can often find the professional books I need in the library, and they are the latest edition.
In addition, these libraries are also different: from the collection content, libraries in different regions will have different collections according to local characteristics. For example, Okubo Library and Toyota Central Library, which I am familiar with, have many foreign literary works and foreign language learning books because there are many foreign residents in their places. There are a large number of high-rise office buildings around the Friendship Library, and there are many "migrant workers" coming and going. A large proportion of books in the collection are related to qualification examination, economic management and entrepreneurship.
In terms of borrowing, each person can borrow 5- 10 books at a time, and the borrowing time varies from 2 to 3 weeks. If there is no queue, you can continue to renew it, which is enough to meet the reading needs of local residents. For example, the economics textbook I borrowed, because no one else came to borrow it, I kept renewing it for more than half a year; Amateur novels are slightly better, but I borrowed Kafka by the sea twice and finished reading it. It is also a wonderful fate to see the traces of the last person taking notes with a pencil and then erasing them.
The book transfer system between libraries is also an important factor to improve the borrowing experience. The district library in each district is a main library system, with a "central library" in charge of the main library and other "regional libraries" as branch libraries. In this system, different libraries have the same disciplines, funding sources and collection resources. Readers with library cards can find the books they want to read on the unified retrieval platform of the district library, make borrowing reservations through the network, telephone or in person, and then designate the nearest library to obtain them. If the book resources in this district can't meet the demand, the district library will turn to Li Du Library for help. If the library is still not satisfied, it will ask the Library of Congress for help. Books in the area can usually be sent to the designated library on the second working day, and can only be returned at the nearest convenient library. Besides, there are many return mailboxes outside the library, so even if the library is closed, you can always throw books in and return them. In this way, although there are many and scattered libraries in the district, the book resources are still relatively concentrated, and it is quite convenient to borrow and return books.
In the aspect of "putting on a show", what readers can feel most personally is the service and hardware facilities of the library. First of all, every library is equipped with necessary seats, and the North Central Library has nearly 400 seats. Most of the seats that need to be reserved are time-limited, which is convenient for everyone to take turns to use. It is basically no problem to find a seat. In addition, barrier-free service is also a highlight-even if the district library I have been to has only two floors, it will be equipped with a straight escalator that can use wheelchairs, and many will also be equipped with toilets for the disabled; Like falling into the library, there are blind roads that are convenient for the blind. Zhensha Central Library will also provide free reading services for the blind, which can be said to be quite considerate. When reading in Zhensha Central Library, I saw several groups of readers accompanying the blind to enter and leave the reading room, which shows that the reading service is indeed a barrier-free service with high demand and popularity.
Finally, a district library can also be said to be an information distribution center in this area, where you can see all kinds of publicity materials, such as summer festival (similar to temple fairs) posters, volunteer recruitment publicity, construction and reconstruction information, etc. Some scholars will be invited to give lectures, and the library will organize film screenings, reading parties, Japanese exchange classes and other activities. Windows will also be opened to provide free consultation on administrative procedures, legal knowledge, employment and entrepreneurship, and foreigners' life on a regular or irregular basis. It's like a community convenience center. For example, Japanese exchange classes will recruit local Japanese as volunteer language partners to help foreigners improve their Japanese. Unlike the impression that most of our domestic volunteers are young people, there are many volunteers here who want to continue to exert their residual heat after retirement. Some students around me took part in the Japanese exchange class here, and chatting with my language partner grandpa became an unforgettable friend. As a result, grandpa often asked me to go home to chat, drink tea and pat cats. I really envy others.
history
The pattern of "one area with multiple libraries" has been formed for a hundred years.
Just as "Rome was not built in a day", the scale and achievements of Tokyo local library system today are inseparable from the construction process of 100 years. 1908, Hibiya Library was completed based on the proposal of establishing a popular library in Tokyo. The following year, the principle of "one library in one district" was put forward for the first time in the document "Building a public library with the same scale as Hibiya Library in Tokyo 15 District". By 19 13, with the completion of the construction of simple libraries in Koishikawa, hometown and Japan (hereinafter referred to as free libraries), Tokyo has basically implemented the construction layout of "one district and one library".
During the Taisho period, the construction of free libraries continued to expand, and many areas began to have more than one library. Before World War II, with the expansion of Tokyo's urban area and the adjustment of administrative divisions, the principle of "one area, one museum" continued to be implemented, and the phenomenon of "one area with multiple museums" gradually increased. Although the library cause in Li Du at that time was destroyed by natural disasters such as the Great Kanto Earthquake and the war attack provoked by Japanese militarism, it also experienced many setbacks. However, in the constant adjustment and reconstruction, the library not only survived tenaciously, but also many free libraries originally set up with primary schools began to build their own libraries during the reconstruction, and made new development.
After the end of World War II, under the framework of the new constitution, Japan promulgated the Law on Regional Autonomy, and the metropolitan library, which was originally under the jurisdiction of Tokyo, was gradually handed over to various districts for management. The model of regional library that we see now began to take shape. In 2009, marked by the handover of Hibiya Library to Chiyoda District, this handover process was officially completed. Subsequently, more regional libraries were established, and various facilities and services were gradually improved, eventually forming such a developed regional library system today. It can be said that libraries all over the region have grown up with several generations of Tokyo people. The cultivation of reading habits of Tokyo people is inextricably linked with these convenient libraries.
strategic vision
Exploring regional libraries has become a hobby of a few people.
Japanese people who are good at summarizing will also summarize a lot of basic information and style characteristics about regional libraries on the Internet, as well as related experience strategies. I think the most powerful is a website called "Tokyo Library Rule", which is run by 80% fans of the district library. He personally visited all the libraries in the 23rd district, wrote a visit record for each library, recorded the internal appearance and utilization experience of the library, and made various classification lists and sorts for these libraries, such as which libraries are located on which railway line, which libraries are open on public holidays, which libraries can lend the most CDs, and so on. In addition, there are books that can only be borrowed in a library, and matters needing attention in using the district library. This is really an encyclopedia guide to the use of the Tokyo regional library.
In addition, some web pages focus on the unique library architecture and introduce the architectural features of the library to everyone. For example, the Shenchuan Library in jiangdong district, which has a long history, was founded in 1909, and has a strong European style, reflecting the Japanese efforts to learn from the West during the Meiji era. The Central Library of North District was rebuilt from the red brick warehouse established by 19 19, also known as the "red brick library", which is widely loved. These libraries are not only the ordinary book world, but also the important cultural wealth of Japan (equivalent to cultural relics protection units). Some web pages also calculate the "book-seeking ratio" of a certain book according to the number of books in different libraries and the number of loan applicants, and sort them for everyone to screen. In addition, there are many library strategies such as "selected library with exquisite interior decoration" and "selected library in cafe". From this point of view, the exploration of libraries in various districts has become a minority hobby.
For me, another attraction of district libraries is their library cards with different styles. Obviously, collecting 23 library cards can't summon the dragon, but from the different materials and card surface design of library cards in each district, it can be seen that small library cards reflect different cultural temperament in each district. Playing with their differences and personalities through a few thin library cards, there is quite a spirit of "seeing the big from the small", which makes collecting different library cards in different districts one of my pleasures.
complain
The absence of e-books
The use of personal computers is strictly restricted.
The Tokyo local library is not perfect, and their slots really make me uncomfortable. Among them, the most surprising thing is that there are almost no e-books in the library, let alone the more common electronic reading rooms in China. The so-called information resources are just some DVDs, CDs and so on. These databases are almost only used for borrowing, and some databases only contain electronic newspapers.
In addition, although almost all district libraries have achieved full coverage of wireless networks, there are strict restrictions on the use of personal computers. For example, as a new library, although there is a row of computer seats with charging sockets, in more libraries, if a seat is not marked as a computer seat, it is not allowed to use your own computer in principle, because the sound of operating the computer keyboard will interfere with the reading of people around you. On the other hand, the seats where you are not allowed to use your computer are generally not equipped with charging sockets, so your computer will easily run out of power, which is really inconvenient. So my conclusion is: if it is not in a library with computer seats, it is still difficult to finish things with computers.
Although there are public computers in the library, most of them can't access the Internet, which is mainly used for bibliographic retrieval. Although the central libraries in all districts will be equipped with computers that can surf the Internet and search databases, the number is relatively small, and the use time is strictly limited to 1 hour or even 30 minutes. After several times of practice, I think it is better to go back to my residence to check it.
Although there are these grooves, they are flawed after all. Generally speaking, the convenient and developed regional library system in Tokyo has given me great experience and benefited me a lot.