I started wanting to be more selective about the books I keep at home, and began using the library more often.
When I learned that I could pick up reserved books at my nearest Community Center, I thought I knew all about the library. But when I looked into it, there was so much I didn’t know.
Learning about the roles the library plays transformed it from merely “a place to borrow books” into somewhere I want to visit.
Taking a look not only at the types of materials available, but also at library services and events, here’s an introduction to Kurashiki Central Library.
The information presented here was current when this article was published in April 2024. Please note that it may differ from current information.
Kurashiki City Libraries
Do you know how many libraries there are in Kurashiki City?
The answer is six. There is one in each of the Kurashiki (Central), Mizushima, Tamashima, Kojima, Mabi, and Funao districts.
Including the library room at Life Park Kurashiki, there are seven.
Each Community Center also has a library room where you can borrow books, and pick up books reserved online or through other means.
Together with the stops served by the mobile libraries and the book distribution facilities, this makes it easy for many residents to discover books.
Libraries in Kurashiki: Library Functions and Roles
What comes to mind if someone asks, “What is a library for?”
You might think of “finding and borrowing books” or “doing research.”
Here is a summary of the library’s main functions and roles.
- Borrowing services
- Reference services
- Interlibrary loans
- Borrowing services through mobile libraries and Community Center library rooms
- Children’s services
- Services for people with disabilities
Borrowing Services
Materials from Kurashiki City Libraries are available for borrowing by people who live in Kurashiki City, as well as those who work or attend school in the city.
Books can also be borrowed from public libraries throughout the region through the “Takahashi River Basin Wide-Area Library Service for 7 Cities and 3 Towns.” (For details, see Kurashiki City Libraries website (PC version) > Wide-Area Library Service for 7 Cities and 3 Towns in the Takahashi River Basin.)
Reference Services
Reference services are “help with research.”
You can ask for help finding which library has a particular item, or for recommendations of materials related to a topic you want to research.
Collection Management
Materials held and preserved at libraries in the city are continually managed through selection and withdrawal.
New materials are selected for the library’s collection, while materials with outdated content or in poor condition are removed. Both processes follow established criteria, keeping the library’s collections organized day by day.
Interlibrary Loans
Interlibrary loans are the lending and borrowing of materials between libraries.
Even if a book is not held by Kurashiki City Libraries, they do their best to obtain it from a library elsewhere in Japan and make it available.
Mobile Libraries
Mobile libraries provide a visiting service to areas and facilities far from a library.
Kurashiki City Libraries have three mobile library vehicles, which regularly visit stops around the city.
I usually make the most use of borrowing services. It’s made me realize anew that the ability to borrow the books I want, when I want them, is supported by library functions and roles beyond lending books.
I also realized that simply looking at things from a slightly different perspective reveals a wide variety of materials and content.
For People Who Find Reading Difficult: Toward a Society Where Everyone Can Read
The basic operating policy of Kurashiki City Libraries describes library users as “everyone, from young children to older adults.”
What kinds of materials, specifically, are available for everyone?
While researching, I came across a law called the Reading Barrier-Free Act, enacted in June 2019.
This law aims to ensure that everyone, regardless of disability, can benefit from written and print culture through reading.
“Reading Barrier-Free Act” informational leaflet, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
It seeks to make the contents of books accessible in formats that are easy to use for people with a range of disabilities.
The informational leaflet, which explains the law in easy-to-understand terms, introduced a variety of books available at libraries.
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Large-print books | Written in large characters to make them easier to read for people with low vision |
| Braille books | Books translated into Braille. Diagrams and pictures represented using raised dots are called “tactile diagrams.” There are also “Braille picture books,” with Braille and tactile diagrams embossed on transparent sheets and attached to the pages |
| LL books (easy-to-read books) | Books written in simple, easy-to-understand language. Pictograms, photos, and diagrams help readers understand |
| Cloth books and tactile books | Books made using materials such as cloth, leather, and yarn, with pictures that can be understood by touch. They may include features such as buttons to fasten or laces to thread, making reading fun |
| DAISY (Digital Accessible Information System) | An international standard for digital talking books. Readers can move from the table of contents to the heading or page they want to read. Types include “audio DAISY” and “multimedia DAISY” |
| E-books (※Not held by Kurashiki City Libraries) | E-books designed for people with low vision and others can be read on computers, smartphones, and dedicated devices. Readers can move from the table of contents to the page they want, and change the text size, font, and background color. More e-books are also becoming available with audio narration |
- “I have difficulty with kanji”
- “I find it hard to follow text with my eyes”
- “I can’t turn the pages,” and so on
I learned that “everyone” includes people who find reading difficult. But there are many different circumstances behind why someone may find reading difficult.
To provide reading styles suited to each person’s circumstances, libraries offer a truly diverse range of tools that go far beyond printed materials.
At Kurashiki Central Library, one of the six Kurashiki City Libraries, I learned about everyday life at the library.
Kurashiki Central Library Information
| Name | Kurashiki Central Library |
|---|---|
| Address | 2-6-1 Chuo, Kurashiki City |
| Contact | 086-425-6030 |
| Parking | None |
| Opening hours | Monday to Saturday: 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Sundays and public holidays: 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. |
| Closed | Mondays, except the first Monday of the month Last Friday of each month (open in August and December) Special collection maintenance closure (up to 14 days) Year-end and New Year holidays (December 29 to January 4) ※Opening hours and closing days vary by library in the city. For opening hours and closing days of libraries other than the Central Library, please see the library website. |
| Smoking | Entirely smoke-free |
| Restrooms | Western-style toilets, Japanese-style toilets, accessible restroom |
| Childcare | Nursing room, diaper-changing table |
| Accessibility | Accessible restroom, elevator |
| Website | Kurashiki City Libraries |
What would you like to know about Kurashiki?
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Kurashiki City holds “Recycled Book Events” in accordance with its withdrawal criteria and rules for the free distribution of withdrawn materials.
For details such as event dates, check the Kurashiki City Libraries website or the official X (formerly Twitter) account.
※The selection criteria, withdrawal criteria, and rules for free distribution events are posted on the “About the City Libraries” page of the Kurashiki City Libraries website.