CHAPTER I General Provisions

(Purpose of this Law) Article 1. The purpose of this Law is to provide for necessary matters concerning the establishment and operation of libraries, and to promote a sound development thereof, and thereby to contribute to the enhancement of the education and culture of the nation, in accordance with the spirit of the Social Education Law (Law No.207 of 1949).

(Definition) Article 2. "Libraries" as used in this Law shall mean the facilities (excluding those attached to schools) established by local public bodies or juridical persons under Article 34 of the Civil Code (Law No.89 of 1896), the purpose of which is to collect, arrange and keep in custody books, archives and other necessary data and materials for the purpose of making them serviceable, by offering them for the utilization of the general public, to their self-education, research and survey, recreation, and other purposes. 2 Of the libraries under the preceding paragraph, those established by local public bodies shall be called public libraries, and those established by juridical persons under Article 34 of the Civil Code private libraries.

(Library Service) Article 3. Libraries shall endeavor, for the library service, to realize the matters enumerated in each of the following items, taking into consideration local situations and the general public's wishes, and also paying attention so as to aid school education: (1) Books, archives, audio-visual materials and other necessary data and materials (hereinafter referred to as "the library materials" ) shall be collected, and offered to the use of the general public, sufficient attention being paid so that such materials as local materials, art works, materials on local administration, gramaphone records and films will also be collected; (2) The library materials shall be properly classified and arranged, and the catalog thereof shall be well prepared; (3) Efforts shall be so made that the library personnel may get adequate knowledge of the library materials and may give counsel to the visitors for their utilization of the library materials; (4) Close contact and cooperation shall be made between libraries and with the National Diet Library, libraries attached to the assemblies of local public bodies and libraries attached to schools by such means as interlibrary loans; (5) Branch libraries, reading-centers and bookcirculating centers, etc. may be established, and the service of bookmobiles and itinerant lending libraries may be offered; (6) Reading-circles, seminars, appreciation meetings, showing of films, exhibitions of data and materials, etc. shall be sponsored and encouraged; (7) Information and reference materials concerning current problems shall be introduced and offered to the general public; (8) Close contact and cooperation shall be made with schools, museums, citizens'public halls, research institutes, etc.

(Librarians and Assistant Librarians) Article 4. Professional personnel of libraries shall be called librarians and assistant librarians. 2 Librarians shall be engaged in the technical business of the libraries. 3 Assistant librarians shall assist librarians in their duties.

(Qualifications for Librarians) Article 5. Those who come under any one of the following items shall have the qualifications for librarians: (1) Graduates of universities who have completed the short course for training librarians under the provisions of Article 6; (2) Graduates of universities who have completed the prescribed course of study concerning library science; (3) Those who have experience of three years or more as assistant librarians (including personnel of the National Diet Library or libraries attached to universities corresponding to assistant librarians) and who have completed the short course for training librarians under the provisions of Article 6. 2 Those who come under any one of the following items shall have the qualifications for assistant librarians: (1) Those who have the qualifications for librarians; (2) Graduates of upper secondary schools who have completed the short course for training assistant librarians under the provisions of Article 6.

(Short Courses for Training Librarians and Assistant Librarians) Article 6. The short courses for training librarians and assistant librarians shall be conducted by universities that have the faculty of education or the faculty of liberal arts and education by the commission of the Minister of Education. 2 The course of study, credits and other necessary matters concerning the short courses for training librarians and assistant librarians shall be provided for by Ministry of Education Ordinance;provided that the number of the credit to be acquired shall not be less than 15.

(Guidance and Advice) Article 7. The Minister of Education may give professional and technical guidance and advice on the establishment and operation of the library to the To, Do, Fu or prefectural Boards of Education upon their request, and the To, Do, Fu or prefectural Board of Education to the Boards of Education of the cities (including special wards;hereinafter the same), towns and villages and the private libraries upon their request.

(Request for Cooperation) Article 8. The To, Do, Fu or prefectural Board of Education may, for the purpose of promoting the library service within the area of To, Do, Fu or prefecture concerned, invite the Boards of Education of the cities, towns and villages to cooperate in regard to the preparation of union catalogs, the service of itinerant lending libraries and the mutual loaning of the library materials.

(Collection of Government Publications) Article 9. The Government shall furnish public libraries established by To, Do, Fu or prefectures two copies of the Official Gazette and other publications published by the Printing Agency which are made available for public information. 2 Agencies of the State and of local public bodies may furnish public libraries free of charge, upon their request, with publications and other data and materials which they publish.

CHAPTER II Public Libraries

(Establishment) Article 10. Matters concerning the establishment of a public library shall be provided for by by-law of the local public body which establishes the said library. 2 The preparation and submittal of the draft of the by-law under the preceding paragraph shall be as the cases of the matter as provided for by Article 61 of the Board of Education Law (Law No.170 of 1948).

(Report) Article 11. In case a city, a town or a village has established, abolished or changed the establisher of a library, it must report the fact to the To, Do, Fu or prefectural Borad of Education. 2 Necessary matters concerning the report under the preceding paragraph shall be provided for by the regulations of the To, Do, Fu or prefectural Board of Education.

Article 12. To, Do, Fu or prefectural Boards of Education shall submit, upon request of the Minister of Education, reports on the establishment, the abolition and the change of the establishers of the libraries established by To, Do, Fu or prefecture concerned or by the cities, towns and villages within the area of To, Do, Fu or prefecture concerned.

(Personnel) Article 13. Each public library shall have a chief of the library, and such other professional, secretarial, and technical personnel as may be deemed necessary by the Board of Education of the local public body which establishes the library concerned. 2 The chief of the library shall take charge of the affairs of the library and endeavour to supervise its personnel to accomplish the functions of library service. 3 The chiefs of libraries that are established by the local public bodies which receive promotional subsidies from the State in accordance with the provisions of Article 20 shall be those who have the qualifications for libraries;provided that those who shall be the chiefs of the said libraries must have the experience of serving as chiefs of libraries or librarians (including such personnel of the National Diet library or the libraries attached to universities as are corresponding to them) for three years or more in case of the libraries established by To, Do, Fu or prefectures as well as those established by the cities under Article 155 paragraph 2 of the Local Autonomy Law (Law No.67 of 1947)(hereinafter referred to as "the five major eities" ), and for one year or more in case of the libraries established by the cities other than the five major cities.

(Library Council) Article 14. Any public library may have a library council. 2 The library council shall be the organ that responds to the inquiries of the chief of the library with regard to the operation of the library, and, at the samd time, may express its opinion to the chief of the library on the library service offered by the library concerned.

Article 15. The members of a library council shall be commissioned by the Board of Education of the local public body from among the persons listed in the following respective items: (1) Representatives of the schools recommended by the schools concerned which are established within the area of jurisdiction of the local public body that establishes the library concerned; (2) Representatives of the organizations concerned with social education (which shall mean the organizations concerned with social education provided for by Article 10 of the Social Education Law) the offices of which are located within the area of jurisdiction of the local public body that establishes the library concerned, who are recommended as such by the organizations concerned through election or other means; (3) Members of Advisory Committee of Social Education; (4) Members of Citizens Public Hall Advisory Committee; (5) Persons of learning and experience.

Article 16. The establishment of the Library Council and the fixed number and the term of office of its members and other necessary matters shall be provided for by by-law of the local public body that establishes the library concerned. 2 The provision of Article 10 paragraph 2 shall apply mutatis mutandis to the by-law under the preceding paragraph. 3 The provisions of Article 15 paragraphs 3 and 4 and Article 19 of the Social Education Law shall apply mutatis mutandis to the members of the Library Council.

(Admission Fee, etc.) Article 17. Public libraries shall not charge any admission fee or any other compensation for use of the library materials.

(General Standards for Public Libraries) Article 18. The Minister of Education shall in order to promote the sound development of libraries, formulate desirable standards for the establishment and the operation of public libraries and make them available to the Boards of Education for guidance and in addition, make them known to the general public.

(Standard for Public Libraries Receiving State Subsidies) Article 19. The minimum standards required for receiving the promotional subsidies under the provisions of Article 20 from the State shall be set up by the Ministry of Education Ordinance.

(Aids and Other Types of Assistance to Public Libraries) Article 20. The State shall, within the limits of budgetary appropriations, grant promotional subsidies for the expenses required for the establishment and the operation of the libraries and other types of necessary assistance to the local public bodies that establish the lidraries.

Article 21. In case the subsidies under the provisions of the preceding Article shall be granted, the Minister of Education shall examine if the libraries established by the local public bodies that are going to receive the subsidies concerned reach the minimum standards as provided for by Article 19, and grant the subsidies concerned only when they reach the standards.

Article 22. The grant of the subsidies under the provisions of Article 20 shall be made, taking into consideration the amount of the settled account in the preceding fiscal year of the expenses required for the library materials and others furnished to the libraries and other expenses incurred by the libraries in each fiscal year, by the local public bodies that establish the libraries. 2 The scope of the expenses under the preceding paragraph and necessary matters concerning the procedure for the grant of the subsidies shall be provided for by Cabinet Order.

Article 23. In cases where the State has granted the subsidies under the provisions of Article 20, it shall, when the local public body comes under any one of the following items, discontinue the further grant of subsidies for the fiscal year concerned and also cause the subsidies for the fiscal year concerned already granted to be returned: (1) In case the library has violated the provisions of this Law; (2) In case the local public body has acted against the conditions of the grant of the subsidy; (3) In case the local public body has received the subsidy by a false means.

CHAPTER III Private Libraries

(Notification) Article 24. Any juridical person that intends to establish or establishes a library shall, when he intends to establish or abolish the library or change its establisher, notify in advance the To, Do, Fu or prefectural Board of Education to that effect. 2 Necessary matters concerning the notification under the preceding paragraph shall be provided for by the regulation of the To, Do, Fu or prefectural Board of Education.

(Their Relation with the To, Do, Fu or Prefectural Board of Education) Article 25. The To, Do, Fu or prefectural Board of Education may request private libraries for reports necessary for the preparation of guidance materials and for survey and research.

(Their Relations with the State and the Local Public Bodies) Article 26. The State and the local public bodies shall not interfere with the work of any private library or give any subsidy to any juridical person that establishes a library.

Article 27. The State and the local public bodies may give help to private libraries in procuring necessary materials upon their request.

(Library Admission Fee, etc.) Article 28. A private library may charge an admission fee and other kinds of compensation for use of the library materials.

(Facilities and Institutions Similar to Libraries) Article 29. Facilities and institutions similar to libraries may be established by any founder. 2 The provisions of Article 7 shall apply mutatis mutandis to the facilities and institutions under the preceding paragraph.