Library and Information Science

According to the survey done in 1965 by the School Library Association of Japan, 93 per cent of primary, junior high schools and 100 per cent of senior high schools have the library facilities. It seems that the school library is well accepted in the scene of school education in Japan.

To our regrett, however, those who are concerned with the school library often express that the school library in Japan exists only as a facility of the school and is not fully utilized by both children and teachers and hence is not fully intergrated into the school education and educational activities of teachers.

The present study derived from the problem mentioned above and aimed to investigate the teacher's conception and understanding of 1) the role and function of the school library, 2) scope of the library materials in the school, and 3) integration of the library into school curriculum and educational activities of teachers.

On the basis of data obtained from 149 teachers of Naha City, Okinawa, interviewed in October, 1966, their attitude toward and conception of the school library were analyzed. The results of careful analysis are that: 1) most of teachers affirm that the library is a vitaly necessary facility and understand that its role and function are to enrich and help to develop the school curriculum providing the necessary educational materials both to children and teachers; 2) the materials of the school library therefore should include not only study and reading materials for children but also research and educational materials needed by teachers to develop their teaching activities; and 3) teachers intend to integrate the school library into the school curriculum and their educational activities but their actual use of the materials needed in teaching is limited to their privately owned collection or materials borrowed from their colleagues. Teachers do not depened on the school library materials that they use in teaching and curriculum studies. From these results we may be able to conclude that most of the teachers conceptually understand the role and function of the school library but it is not actively intergrated into their teaching and educational activities.