First-Year Excitement Library - "We want to support children's reading activities!" A unique reading education initiative in Kurashiki City where bookstores and elementary schools join hands.

For book lovers, the vast collection of books available at the library is irresistible. On the other hand, some first-time visitors to the library may feel confused about where to start.

The library that a first grader uses for the first time is the school library. The school library is stocked with not only picture books and novels for reading but also many reference books and dictionaries for research.

During my previous career as a teacher, I used the school library with the children both in and out of class. While the children seemed excited by the numerous books, it was indeed a challenging task to find the books they wanted within a 45-minute class.

In Kurashiki City, all school libraries are equipped with the First Grader's Exciting Library. This initiative, which is the first of its kind in Japan, supports reading education for first graders through collaboration between bookstores and schools.

What is the First Grader's Exciting Library

The First Grader's Exciting Library is a collection of books specifically for first graders, set up in the school libraries of elementary schools in Kurashiki City.

Launched in the 2017 academic year with the aim of allowing first graders, who are starting their reading education, to "easily choose the books they want and smoothly borrow them," it is now installed in all school libraries of Kurashiki City public elementary schools.

The initiative of the First Grader's Exciting Library is not only progressing within schools. The idea originated from the Kurashiki City Bookstore Business Cooperative, which consists of volunteers from bookstores in Kurashiki City, and was implemented as a city project in consultation with Kurashiki City, which promotes reading activities.

The bookstores under the Kurashiki City Bookstore Business Cooperative mainly supply textbooks to Kurashiki City public schools and sell books to school libraries.

Book selection by bookstores and Kurashiki City

The annual book selection process is conducted jointly by the Kurashiki City Bookstore Business Cooperative and the Mayor of Kurashiki City, and the collection of books is increasing year by year. In addition to increasing the collection, there are also considerations for replacing old books that have been circulated widely with new ones as needed.

It is nice for new students to pick up books that are in as good a condition as possible.

During the selection process, publishers choose books to recommend for the First Grader's Exciting Library based on the following four themes.

1. Friends
2. Family
3. Compassion
4. School life

The books selected by the publishers are confirmed by the Kurashiki City Bookstore Business Cooperative, and a presentation is carefully made for each book within the relevant department of the Board of Education. The department staff also actually handles the books to check their content. After that, a proposal is made to the Mayor of Kurashiki City.

The Mayor of Kurashiki City also personally handles each book to check its content before making selections. If it is determined that revisions are necessary, the selection process is reviewed from the beginning.

The books adopted for the First Grader's Exciting Library in the 2024 academic year are as follows.

The mark of the First Grader's Exciting Library

In the 2024 academic year, a mark that signifies the First Grader's Exciting Library was also created.

Since it is attached to the books, when taken home, one can immediately recognize, "This is a book from the First Grader's Exciting Library."

The design of this mark was created by food illustrator and picture book author Mayuko Iwasaki, who is from Yakage Town in Okayama Prefecture and currently resides in Okayama City.

The illustration was inspired by an actual episode from the initiative, where a second grader recommended a book to a first grader, saying, "This book was great!"

The bright colors used around the background border are said to represent Kurashiki City's specialty products: Muscat grapes, Pione grapes, and peaches. Additionally, the yellow circle symbolizes the shiny first graders.

The condition of the school library is regularly checked by bookstores

The role of the Kurashiki City Bookstore Business Cooperative is not limited to book selection and distribution.

They regularly visit elementary schools to check the condition of the school libraries. They also gather feedback on the usage of the First Grader's Exciting Library and provide advice on creating a more accessible environment for handling books.

The usage status of the First Grader's Exciting Library at each school is shared with the publishers. This information is also used as a reference for the book selection in the following academic year.

Masaki Kataoka, the chairman of the Kurashiki City Bookstore Business Cooperative, and Fumiaki Yamana, the cooperative's public relations officer, shared their thoughts on the "First Grader's Exciting Library" and recommended ways to utilize it.

Data on the First Grader's Exciting Library

Name	First Grader's Exciting Library
Address	All elementary schools in Kurashiki City

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