School libraries are facilities that the School Library Act requires every elementary, junior high, and high school, as well as every special needs school, to establish. In addition to serving as reading centers, school libraries are expected to function as learning centers and information centers. In Kurashiki City’s elementary schools, specialist school library librarians manage the school libraries.
During summer vacation, when children do not attend school, school library librarians and other education staff use the time to attend training and organize supplies, among other preparations that help ensure the smooth running of schools throughout the year.
Every summer, Kurashiki City holds the “Quality Book Fair for School Libraries,” an exhibition that brings together more publishers than any other in Japan. I used to work as a teacher-librarian, and I attended the event, so here’s my report.
The information presented here is current as of the article’s publication in September 2024. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What is the 12th Quality Book Exhibition for School Libraries?
The 12th Quality Book Exhibition for School Libraries was held to provide a place for exchange between school library librarians and education staff in Okayama Prefecture and publishers, and to introduce books needed by schools and libraries, with the aim of promoting reading and contributing to local culture.
The event was organized by the Kurashiki City Booksellers Cooperative Association, with the cooperation of a bookstore that has supported schools in Kurashiki City for many years. Guided by the mission of “continuing to deliver good books to children,” the association carries out a variety of projects and partnerships.
Thanks to the network unique to bookstores, 45 publishers gathered in 2024 as well, making it the exhibition with the most publishers in Japan. It was held at the Community Hall in the East Building of Mizushima Ai-ai Salon, Kurashiki City Tourism and Exchange Square.
At the venue
When I arrived at the venue at around 1 p.m., booths had been set up throughout the space, with many picture books and children’s books on display.
A publisher representative was stationed at every booth, so school library librarians could speak directly with representatives at booths that caught their interest.
According to a representative, a line had formed before the doors opened at 10 a.m.
Although only education professionals, including school library librarians, were eligible to attend, people came from other prefectures as well, showing just how much attention the event attracts.
I quickly started making the rounds of the booths.
A place for school library librarians to improve their skills and gather information
In Kurashiki City, each school has one librarian. In other municipalities, it is not uncommon for a librarian to be responsible for several school libraries. An environment where education staff involved with school libraries can share information is extremely valuable.
When I visited, Doshinsha, a publisher famous for kamishibai, was holding a kamishibai workshop. The way the appeal of kamishibai comes across can change greatly depending on how the wooden frame, called a stage, is used to hold the cards.
At the venue, a publisher representative demonstrated how to use the stage and turn the kamishibai cards. All the participants were taking notes or trying out the stage for themselves.
A place for publishers, librarians, and education staff to communicate directly
I was also surprised that many of the books displayed at the booths were fiction and other reading books, such as novels.
At the school where I worked, we selected books to purchase during summer vacation and before winter vacation. I hear that many other schools also select books during summer vacation.
Selecting books usually does not mean going somewhere to buy them; in most cases, schools place orders from catalogs delivered to them. The books I referred to were recommended books and reference books mentioned in textbooks.
Textbooks are approved by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and contain information considered essential for children in each grade. Books related to school subjects are indispensable to school libraries as learning center resources, while books such as encyclopedias that provide starting points for research are essential as information center resources.
Many books featured in textbooks are classics that have been read for generations, or expensive books such as encyclopedias that many families would find costly to buy. This makes them seem like easy choices for school libraries to purchase.
On the other hand, I struggled every year to choose books that would appeal to children today.
At this exhibition, however, many of the reading books on display had been published relatively recently.
As I picked up the books, publisher representatives gave me specific explanations, such as, “We published this book because we wanted children to enjoy their committee activities more. It introduces different jobs, but it also has a storyline, so we recommend it.”
When I told them which committees my school had, they also suggested one research book after another that could be used for the activities. This made it possible to choose books while imagining the children using them.
Some of the books purchased by school libraries are not the kind you often see in general bookstores, so I appreciated being able to get information about new releases directly from publishers.
Exhibitions in this format also seem to benefit publishers. A publisher’s work typically ends with making books and selling them to a wholesaler. As a result, they have few opportunities to see how books are actually used in schools or what kinds of books children like.
However, when teacher-librarians and other education staff visit the booths directly, it gives publishers a chance to hear firsthand feedback from the field, such as, “This book is popular at our school,” or “We were able to do this kind of learning with this book.”
Events like this, where schools and publishers can communicate directly, are extremely rare across Japan. I hear that many publishers send representatives from the Tokyo metropolitan area specifically for this event.
A place where local government and participants connect
Kurashiki City Mayor Kaori Ito also visited the venue.
In her greeting to participants, she expressed gratitude for the donation of books worth a total of 6.5 million yen from the publishers participating in the event. The donations were made in good faith to all Kurashiki City schools in Mabi, including Kurashiki City Yata Elementary School, whose school library was completely destroyed in the July 2018 Heavy Rains in Western Japan.
She also introduced “First Graders’ Exciting Book Corner,” a special book section for new first graders in elementary school libraries.
Mayor Ito is an avid reader and is very knowledgeable about this “First Graders’ Exciting Book Corner.”
After her greeting, she took her time visiting each booth and actively engaging with publishers.
From the Writer
The fact that exhibitions like this have continued for so long, and that Kurashiki City has developed its own reading programs, may be due in part to the local government’s active commitment to children’s reading education.
In 2024, 132 participants from 107 schools attended the Book Marche, which ended as a great success.
School libraries are an important part of education and must be established in every school. I hope this event will continue to help improve the quality of school libraries and enrich children’s reading activities.
12th Quality Book Exhibition for School Libraries: Kurashiki Book Marche Uki Seiko Information
| Name | 12th Quality Book Exhibition for School Libraries: Kurashiki Book Marche Uki Seiko |
|---|---|
| Date | August 1, 2024, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. |
| Location | 1-50 Mizushima Higashichidoricho, Kurashiki City |
| Admission (tax included) | Free |
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