Library and Information Science

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to clarify the learning process in policy-making by civic collaboration and to explore the possibility of public libraries contributing to policy-making by civic collaboration.

Methods: People in two local governments who had participated in policy-making projects were interviewed. Based on data obtained by the interviews and related documents, the learning process in policy-making was analyzed.

Results: This research clarified seven points of learning behavior in the learning process in policymaking by civic collaboration. These points are broadly categorized into two subsets: learning behavior related to personal knowledge acquisition, and learning behavior related to human mental state. Based on these findings, this study suggests that library activities could contribute to policymaking. Specifically, in the preliminary phase of policy-making, public libraries would be able to provide local government officers with basic information for their research on local issues and with opportunities for meeting and talking with stakeholders on such issues. Furthermore, at an early stage of the policy-making process, public libraries would be able to provide civic collaborative members with essential information needed after acquiring preliminary knowledge. At a later stage, public libraries would be able to offer many opportunities for creative discussion between those officers and civic collaborative members.