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Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the utilization, preservation and management of library materials that require original state conservation, focusing on the Chinese books of the Qing Dynasty era Methods: First, from the results of the interview and questionnaire surveys conducted on the staff in charge of rare books at 15 institutions, the following factors are considered to be some of the causes of the degradation of Chinese books: 1) Insufficient maintenance of the stack environment 2) Utilization of the materials, and 3) Environmental changes on entering the stacks. Secondly, on the basis of these findings and other previous studies, a comparison study was designed to examine the state of degradation of the Chinese books in the Keio University Mita Media Center (with 1470 Chinese books) and in the Keio Institute of Oriental Classics (with 323 Chinese books) , each of which has its own usage rules and its unique environment. Additionally, the conditions of 119 Japanese books and 237 books in Western languages published in the time of the Qing Dynasty were examined to compare with those of the Chinese books. Results: The Chinese books of the Qing Dynasty era are in very good condition, and can be used as they are. The degradation was caused by careless handling as well as frequent use, and not by inappropriate management of the environment. In conclusion, meticulous care is required for deteriorated books made of paper from wood pulp, and those that are difficult to open, in order to use the actual material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper explores the roles of institutional repositories（ IRs） for Japanese psychologists by analyzing their awareness of IRs, article deposition into and article acquisition from IR, and other possible factors that might have impacts on them. Methods: The survey was conducted in October 2010 among 1,708 psychologists registered in the Directory Database of Research and Development Activities（ ReaD）. The number of valid responses was 526（ response rate of 30.8%）. We analyzed the relationship between the respondents' experience with IRs and their attributes such as research area and information behavior. Results: More than 70% of respondents have some knowledge about IRs and 62.5% have used them when seeking information. The results showed that the researchers in educational psychology where articles tend to be written in Japanese and where e-journals are less published used more articles deposited in IRs. Although IRs have contributed to the digitization of articles in the area by publishing departmental bulletins, only 11.6% of respondents have deposited their own articles in IRs. For Japanese psychologists, IR is not a place for self-archiving, but for digital publishing of Japanese articles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Even in elementary schools with fully equipped school libraries, teachers can be divided into two groups: those who use the library frequently and those who do so infrequently. This paper investigates empirically the attitudes and characteristics of the two groups, to identify the primary factors affecting their library use. It also explores how school libraries can support teachers. Methods: Two surveys were conducted in eight elementary schools that have a fully equipped and active library. First, a questionnaire survey was conducted for 160 teachers of the schools about their attitudes and characteristics of school library use. Based on the amount of time spent on library use in a year, the respondents were divided into two groups: frequent users and infrequent users, and the responses to the questionnaire were compared between the two groups. Second, sixteen teachers were interviewed. The results were analyzed in terms of the conditions of teachers, students and schools. Result: From the questionnaire, twelve statistically significant differences in attitudes and characteristics regarding school library use were found between the two groups. From the interview, seven significant differences corresponding to those in the questionnaire and twelve new primary factors were identified. Five factors required for school libraries to support teachers were found: 1） understanding of the importance and needs of school library use, 2） active library use in classes of five main subjects（ Japanese language, social studies, integrated study, life environment studies, and science）, 3） reference to practical examples of library use, 4） improvement of instruction by using book reading services or book talks, and 5） making teaching plans for library use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To ensure the safety of the environment and human health, the manufacture of pesticide formulations must be in accord with registered formula components. The Agricultural Chemicals Inspection Station therefore regularly inspects the formula components of commercial samples. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a simple method using Fourier transform infrared attenuated total reflection (FT-IR/ATR) spectroscopy for the identification of the formula components of registered and commercial samples. The FT-IR/ATR technique is fast and relatively easy to use; it requires no sample pretreatment for most solid and liquid pesticide formulations, with the exception of some ready-touse liquid formulations. The transmittance spectrum (4,000–650 cm−1 ) is useful for inspection. We used three evaluation methods to identify the components of the formula: overlap of two spectra, calculation of the purity index, and use of principal component analysis (PCA). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Some librarians and researchers in the field of Library and Information Science predict that library buildings will disappear in the near future as all library materials become available on the Internet. On the other hand, there are others who are reevaluating the role of traditional libraries as a" place" for studying or reading in the Internet age. In Japan, Learning Commons has become popular as a result of the reevaluation of" the library as place", unfortunately, however, it is insufficient to discuss the theoretical aspects of providing Learning Commons in campuses, and therefore its purpose and functionality remain unclear. Clarifying the concept of" the library as place" is considered to be a first step for solving the problem. This paper examines empirically the actual situation of library use as" place" in order to discuss this concept. Methods and Results: At Yokohama National University Central Library in Japan, users' staying place, belongings and behavior were investigated by unobtrusive observation during three days （June 23‒25th, 2009）. The library space was divided into 30 areas, and investigators observed library users in each area. In total, 9,610 users were investigated. The results showed that 1） the library is used as a learning space for undergraduate students, 2） the personal computers in the library are heavily used, 3） that there are various ways of using the library facilities. The observational investigation method used in this study is effective for examining effectively library use, but it can not clarify users' cognitive aspects; these may be measured by questionnaires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Heizo Ito（ 1857‒1929） is known in the library community of Japan for his involvement in the establishment of several libraries in the late Meiji and early Showa period while serving as a professor at the Tokyo Foreign Language School. However, there have been very few previous studies on him. The present study examines his personality and also his thoughts about libraries that evolved through hands-on work. Methods: Published documents and materials used in previous studies were carefully re-examined. In addition, the author surveyed Ito's materials（ copies of letters, personal diaries, etc.） held by Yokohama City Central Library and a variety of records stored in the Tokyo Metropolitan Archives. Ito's thoughts about libraries were clarified by analyzing papers published by Ito and other documents. Results: Ito's life can be divided into seven periods. In the period of constructing a city library in Tokyo, he was associated with its establishment and the management of popular libraries for citizens. Ito made plans for constructing various types of libraries such as private libraries, municipal libraries, and prefectural libraries. While managing these libraries after their construction, he decided it was necessary to strengthen their foundation through systematic training of library staff. During such hands-on activities, his concern gradually changed from setting up many small libraries to building medium- or large-scale libraries according to the size of area served, while maintaining their popularity. He also realized the importance of clarifying the different roles between municipal libraries, prefectural libraries, and city libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper seeks to clarify the research trend of library and information science (US) in Japan from 1970 to 2009. Methods: Of all the articles published from 1970 to 2009 in Library and Information Science and Journal of Japan Society of Library and Information Science, 826 research articles were examined. For each article, (1) authors, (2) topics, (3) research methods, and (4) the use of theories were analyzed. For (1), the number of authors of each article and the first author's affiliation and occupation were examined. Topics were classified into 14 US topics and these topics were further classified into "library science" and "information science". Empirical research methods were further divided into "data collection method" and "data analysis method". The number of research articles and the transition of the number of pages were also investigated. Results: Our findings indicate that in the US field over the last 40 years in Japan, (1) the number of authors whose affiliation is "university" has increased, (2) the number of "information science" articles has gradually decreased, and the majority of articles are now about "library science", and (3) the proportion of empirical research methods has increased. There were no major changes or distinctive trends in the topics discussed by articles. Due to the adoption of a strict peer-review system in both journals, the number of research articles decreased from the 1990s to 2000s; however, the number of articles has increased in recent years due to the increase in the number of graduate students and the enhancement of research grants in the US field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper reviews historical changes and trends in undergraduate libraries in the US since the 1990s, focusing on the contents of services provided, and examines how the concept of 'undergraduate library service' has changed in the US. Methods: First, through an extensive review of the literature, important discussions or assertions on changes in undergraduate libraries are systematically enumerated. Second, 23 universities having their own undergraduate libraries in 2009 were selected, and their services were surveyed by examining their websites and documents published about the undergraduate libraries. Third, a detailed case study was performed for four universities in which the undergraduate library had drastically changed and two universities that introduced a new undergraduate library in the.1990s. Results: The results show that the services of undergraduate libraries have: 1) become more integrated, 2) played a greater role in university education, and 3) become more sensitive to students' achievements. Also, library operations for the services have: 1) become more collaborative within the library system, and concurrently 2) become more collaborative with faculty members and campus's units. On the other hand, the concept of undergraduate library services has changed from "services within libraries exclusively used by undergraduate students in research universities" to "services for undergraduate students provided totally by the whole library system". More recently, services have become recognized as an important activity to be executed by the whole university, not only the library, through effective collaboration among departments involved in the education of undergraduate students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze structures and contents of authority data on Japanese personal and corporate names, which were made in Japan, and to clarify the degree to which such data are consistent with Functional Requirements for Authority Data (FRAD). Methods: Consistency was measured based on three conditions: (1) the data should have mandatory and highly recommended elements prescribed in Mandatory Data Elements for Internationally Shared Resource Authority Records (MLAR), which provides the basic data elements to be included for international sharing of authority data; (2) the data should contain elements adopted by UNIMARC Manual Authorities Format (UNIMARC/A) or MARC21 Format for Authority Data (MARC21/A), which have already been modified in accordance with FRAD; (3) the data should have fields or subfields allowing the incorporation of elements by UNIMARC/A and MARC21/A. If these conditions are satisfied, then the Japanese data may be sufficiently consistent with FRAD. This paper clarifies empirically whether the Japanese authority data fulfill the three conditions or not, by examining carefully authority formats and manuals obtained from six institutions producing such data in Japan. Results: The results show that Japanese name authority data satisfy condition (1) but not conditions (2) and (3). In order to match the Japanese name authority data with FRAD, the data should be augmented by adding some attributes of entries "Person" and "Corporate body", relationships between different entities and types of relationships. Also, fields for keeping these elements should be made available in the data. Furthermore, the examination revealed unique elements in Japan which are not included in UNIMARC/A and MARC21/A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we report two incidents of ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP) that occurred in 2008 on Kakeroma Island in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. A family consisting of father (42 y.o.), mother (39 y.o.), daughter (11 y.o.) and son (6 y.o.), as well as a friend of the family (male, 78 y.o.) consumed sliced flesh (sashimi) and developed typical symptoms of CPF 4-5 h later: diarrhea, vomiting, and paresthesia of the extremities. Additionally, the two male adults (42 and 78 y.o.) developed mild hypotention (84/48 and 94/40 mmHg, respectively) and bradycardia (36 and 50 bpm, respectively) and were rushed to the ER of the nearest hospital, located on an adjacent island. The implicated fish were caught together off the west coast of the island and were identified as Variola louti and Lutjanus monostigma based on analysis of 16S rRNA gene coded on mtDNA. Remnants of the implicated fish and other fish caught on the same occasion were examined by the official mouse bioassay method (MBA), which defines the minimum amount of CFP toxin needed to kill a male mouse of ddY strain of 20 g body weight within 24 h as one mouse unit (MU). A significantly high toxicity was detected in the V. louti (0.2 MU/g) eaten by the family and the L. monostigma (0.8 MU/g) eaten by the elderly man. Other specimens of Lethrinus nebulosus, Variola albimarginata, Lutjanus gibbus (2 specimens), Aphareus rutilans, and Sphyraena forsteri (2 specimens) were found to be nontoxic (< 0.025 MU/g). The medical records regarding island inhabitants (ca. 1,500) kept at Kakeroma Tokushukai Clinic, the only medical facility on the Island, and also at Setouchi Tokushukai Hospital, a nearest hospital on an adjacent island (Amami) revealed 6 CFP outbreaks involving 13 cases between 2005 and 2008. The estimated frequency of CFP was 10.0 incidents/10,000 persons/year and the morbidity rate was 21.7 cases/10,000 persons/year. The symptoms and signs observed in the patients and the implicated fish species, L. monostigma and V. louti, were typical of CFP in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Despite the rise of the Internet, both television and newspapers still play major roles as news, media. This paper clarifies the differences between television and newspapers as news media during the period of a general election campaign in Japan. Methods: News stories reporting on the election of The House of Representatives of Japan were analyzed using episodic or thematic news frames (Iyengar 1991). News was categorized according to the type of news and the type of frame. Results: News programs on television (NHK and five commercial broadcast stations) broadcast 172 news sto- ries during the 2009 election campaign (from 18 August 2009 to 1 September 2009). There were 386 news items in the Asahi Shimbun newspaper related to the election during the same period. The amount of coverage was large at both the beginning and the end of the election campaign. Television and newspapers showed similar tendencies. Moreover, no changes were observed between 2005 and 2009. Television news was composed of equal amounts of general news and featured news, while featured news accounted for about 80% of the news in the newspaper. On television, there were many episodic frames mainly portraying individuals involved in the election campaign. A large majority of newspaper coverage, however, dealt with theme frames. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper clarifies the characteristics of theories on the strategic management of libraries in the United States, focusing on: 1) how strategic management concepts have been applied to operations or tasks in libraries, 2) the degree to which strategic management theories have an impact on them, and 3) whether library staff place a high value on the results of applying the theories. Methods: First, a set of strategic management theories to be investigated was selected from standard text- books of business administration and library management. Second, for each theory in the set, bibliography and bibliographic databases, Library Literature, LISA and LISTA, were searched in order to identify documents discussing it. Third, cases studies and bibliometric analysis were attempted based on the documents. In case studies, some actual cases of applying the theories to library management were extracted from documents, and how the theories were implemented in library operations and how they were evaluated by library staff were analyzed. On the other hand, in bibliometric analysis, the numbers of documents were counted by year, and chronological trends of popularity of the theories in libraries were empirically clarified. Results: The cases studies show that library managers in the US are particularly concerned about `planning' and `evaluation'. However, in most cases, it would have been difficult to progress from planning to practice. Also, library managers tend to select theories on administrative organization rather than those oriented toward the external environment. Although most management theories were not adequately implemented in the cases, only theories on core competence would have been accepted positively and incorporated adequately into practice in libraries. The bibliometric analysis clarified that the impact of management strategy theories is increasing each year, and new theories are being applied in library situations more quickly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Recently, requests for inter-library loans (ILL) are often rejected by libraries participating in the NACSIS-ILL network (Japan), and a project to investigate issues concerning bibliographic utilities was conducted in 2004. This paper examines the status of refusals after the project and clarifies the reasons for the refusals. Methods: First, reasons for refusals were analyzed by using ILL records from 2004 to 2008 archived by Hitotsubashi University Library. Second, the refusal rate of each participating library from 2004 to 2007 was measured and relationships between the degree of refusal and characteristics of the libraries were empirically explored by using statistical data extracted from Statistics on Libraries in Japan. Third, a questionnaire was conducted to examine the degree to which procedures described in Manual about ILL in Academic Libraries (Daigaku Toshokankan Sougo Riyou Manual) are actually followed by participating libraries. Results: (1) While the main reason for refusals to lend was because the requested items were stored in professors' offices, various reasons for refusal for copying were found. (2) While 90% of refusals for lending were due to reasons in the requested libraries, 50-60% of refusals for copying were due to the requesting libraries, suggesting that there is a greater moral hazard in copying. (3) As an environmental factor, the numbers of holdings and staff in a library have an effect on its refusal rate. (4) Libraries with a higher refusal rate tend not to follow some of the procedures of Manual about ILL in Academic Libraries in comparison with those with lower refusal rate, indicating that strictly following the procedures is a key factor for decreasing the refusal rate. (5) Because of the diversification of library materials, requesting libraries must check many more matters before sending a request than before, which puts pressure on staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper illustrates quantitatively the different methods of selecting books and the results between librarians and faculty of universities. The three main research issues are: 1) the impact of book selection on the level of book circulation and the quality of the library collection, 2) the characteristics of book selections, and 3) the possibility of applying collection evaluation methods to research issues in studies on book selection. Methods: The quality and characteristics of economic books held in Keio University Library were quantitatively measured by two collection evaluation methods based on book circulation statistics and list-checking, and the differences between books selected by librarians and faculty were analyzed. Book circulation statistics were examined from seven perspectives: 1) total number of Japanese and foreign language books, 2) collection turnover rate, 3) percentage of non-loaned books, 4) percentage of books loaned more than five times per year, 5) percentage of loaned books by user type, 6) collection turnover rate by user type, and 7) obsolescence. For list-checking, this study used four check-lists: 1) other library catalogs, 2) economics book reviews, 3) selective bibliography (Senteitosho-Soumokuroku) and 4) books cited in masters' and doctoral theses. Results: According to book circulation statistics, librarians tend to select more Japanese books than those writ- ten in foreign languages, and conversely, faculty prefer to select foreign language books. Most of the Japanese books selected by librarians were loaned, but most of the books selected by faculty were not loaned. Books selected by librarians were frequently loaned by every user, and became obsolete more slowly that those selected by faculty. List-checking showed that books selected by librarians largely overlapped the check-lists. As these results show, the collection evaluation method is a useful tool for book selection studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper examines the job structure of staff (teacher librarians/senior teachers with library man- agement duties and school librarians) who work in junior high school libraries that function as media, information, and learning centers. Methods: In 2008, two questionnaires were sent to the staff (teacher librarians/senior teachers and school librarians) of 234 junior school libraries in eleven cities. Replies were received from 227 respondents (response rate 49%). The data was analyzed using deviation value, cluster analysis, and factor analysis, and then the results were compared with those of a study of elementary school libraries in 2007. Results: This research showed the following. (1) There were four main job areas of school library staff: central services, fundamental services, selective services, and peripheral services, in terms of performance and needs of jobs. (2) The staff who worked in school libraries that functioned as media, information, and learning centers did not perform most of the advanced jobs that required high technical skills. (3) The staff of the junior high school libraries and the elementary school libraries had four similar job areas, but tasks within each area differed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine how library services to children in Japan were perceived by people and functioned in the local community from the mid-1960s to 1970s, arid to illustrate how this was related to the enhancement of public library services during the same period in Japan. Methods: The study examined in detail three fundamental reports that greatly contributed to the enhancement of Japanese public library services in the 1960s and 1970s: (1) Chushotoshi ni okeru kokyo toshokan no un-ei (1963), (2) Shimin no toshokan (1970), and (3) Toshokan seisaku no kadai to taisaku (1970), and analyzed several descriptions of library services to children in the reports. Similarly, various documents on the initial activities conducted by Hino City Library (1965-) were collected and investigated. In addition, interviews were conducted with people who had played an important role in library services to children at that time. Results: Many library activities during the 1960s and 1970s focused on increasing the circulation of library materials. As the number of loans of children's books increased, services to children gradually became recognized as an important library function and were considered to be a key means of extending library services. This paper shows that prompt activities by libraries to positively provide children's services successfully matched the needs of local communities and general social trends of that period, and led to the growth and deployment of public library services in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Over 80% percent of university libraries in Japan had installed a library automation system by 1994, and 99% percent had become computerized by 2002. Today, many university libraries use the internet and digital resources to provide user-oriented library services, having become electronic libraries to a greater or lesser extent. Library automation systems are the basis for developing user-oriented library services. From the viewpoint of library staff, this paper examines current approaches to library automation issues of book acquisition, book cataloging and circulation. Methods: Two focus group interviews were conducted with two groups of six university librarians. The librarians discussed issues such as their impressions, effects, and the future of library automation. By focusing on the cause-and-effect relationship arid adversary relationship embedded into each utterance expressed during the interviews, the study attempted to identify themes that emerged during the discussions.Results: Problems of library automation were categorized into ten groups. A conceptual diagram of the framework of the problems was created from the data of the focus group interviews. Regarding the effects and problems of library automation, the study found the following three points: (1) promoting labor-saving and functional advancements, (2) libraries losing their power, and (3) imperfect packages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study examines the changes in the practice of reading guidance. Specifically, it analyzes and discusses the changes in attitude of elementary and junior high school staff toward reading guidance and the characteristics of the method. Methods: The Japan School Library Association Conference has been held for more than 50 years. In this paper, the author examines the articles by JSLA conference participants and summarizes the practical reports and discussions. Results: Reading guidance initially began with "reading together" and "thinking more deeply about reading." The quality of reading was also emphasized. However, there were differences of opinion about the method. Then, through repeated practice around Japan, "group reading that can be held in a short period of time" and "working to make reading more fun" activities were proposed and practiced. The practice of reading guidance has changed as a whole. (1) It used to be difficult to perform reading guidance, but with the implementation of unprescribed time (yutori no jikan) in the 1980s and the trend toward morning reading activities after the late 1990s, the recognition spread that reading guidance or activities to encourage reading could be performed in even a short time such as 10 to 20 minutes; (2) From the 1980s, "considering reading enjoyment" and "facing reading itself" came under review; (3) with differences of opinion regarding the value of having everyone read the same book and of effectively forcing them to read certain books, the focus shifted to free reading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In recent years, "a work" is attracting attention as an entity for information retrieval. This paper investigates associations of works which are called "bibliographic family" represented in the Japanese library catalog. Methods: To investigate bibliographic families in the Japanese library catalog, a survey was conducted using a random sample from J-BISC. Research questions were: 1) what proportion of works in the Japanese library catalog have derivative works, 2) how populous each bibliographic family is, 3) how frequently each type of derivative relationship appears, and 4) whether there are unique characteristics of bibliographic relationships in Japan compared with studies from other countries. From J-BISC, 669 works that had been recorded up to January 2005 were extracted as the sample. To search for members of bibliographic families, NDL-OPAC and Webcat Plus was used. To investigate the characteristics of bibliographic families of works in the Japanese library catalog, the results of previous studies were compared and examined. Results: The survey results show that 1) 2 5.9% of works in the sample have derivative works, 2) the average size of bibliographic families in the sample is 1.80, and 3) successive relationships account for 63.6% of all types of derivative relationships. Based on these results, networks of bibliographic families really exist, and so it is valid to use the links to improve the library catalog. From a comparison with five previous studies in the U.S. and Slovenia, the phenomenon of works which are called bibliographic families is free from locality and language, and shows "universality." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Efforts have been made to improve the OPACs by collocating bibliographic records sharing the same "work" and navigating users among records under a certain "work," according to the Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR). This paper investigates methods of automatically identifying "works," i.e., grouping bibliographic records sharing the same work, for the JAPAN/MARC records, which are typical Japanese bibliographic records created and maintained by libraries in Japan. It reports the extent to which records can be automatically identified as member of a particular work and also which of the possible methods are effective. Methods: The method used in this study is to generate work identification keys for each work represented in a bibliographic record and then to bring the keys representing the same works together. The keys are in principle constructed as a combination of an author name and a title from the record. Several methods of generating such keys were examined and the clustering of keys was executed for each method. The clusters built automatically were evaluated by comparing them with the sample correct sets built manually. Results: The results of the experiment show that the proposed method is effective in average cases; however, the performance depends on the characteristics of works, for example, the volume of records sharing the same work, whether anonymous or not, and whether uniform titles exist. It also shows that it is effective to generate keys for every bibliographic hierarchical level with data elements such as author headings, statements of responsibility, descriptive titles, and title headings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: "Health literacy" is the ability to obtain and use information in order to maintain one's health and to recover from disease. Health information providers should consider health literacy an integral part of health communication. Since "Health Literacy" was one of the objectives of Healthy People 2010 in the year 2000, research in the field of health literacy has flourished in the U.S. This paper attempts to emphasize both the necessity of health literacy research and the outline contribution of library and information science to health literacy in Japan through a literature review of the expansion of health literacy research in the U.S. and its introduction to Japan. Results: There were three turning points in health literacy research in the U.S.: a readability study for documents started in the 1970s; a measurement study of individual health literacy created and implemented in the 1990s; and a health outcome study after the year 2000. These previous studies indicate that the methods and accomplishments of health literacy research are recognized primarily based on the following health literacy research models: basic literacy and knowledge; narrowly-defined health literacy; and health outcomes. The backgrounds of the health literacy researchers vary, but do include library and information science. The results of the research have been reflected in the expansion of consumer health information services. In Japan, very little health literacy research has been conducted, although a portion of the definition of health literacy has been introduced to scholars in some health-related fields. Researchers' interest in the relationship between health information and the general public including patients has grown recently. Health literacy should be recognized as one of the important research agendas in human information interaction. In addition to health sciences and education, library and information science should contribute to health literacy research in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to study the job structure of the staff (teacher librarians/ senior teachers with library management duties and school librarians) who work in elementary school libraries that function as media, information, and learning centers. Methods: In 2007, a questionnaire was sent to the staff of elementary school libraries in eleven cities. The number of responses received was 356 out of 876 (41%) from 223 elementary schools. The results were analyzed using deviation value, cluster analysis, and factor analysis. Results: (1)The job structure of school library staff had four dimensions: central services, fundamental services, selective services, and peripheral services from points of view of performance and needs of jobs. (2)Staff whose school libraries functioned as media, information, and learning centers did not perform most of advanced jobs needed high technical skills. (3) School library staff had three recognitions (as domains) of planned administration, support of pupil's learning, and organization of materials in school library management. And those recognitions influenced distribution of duties between teacher librarians/ senior teachers with library management duties and school librarians. In conclusion, the author proposes a model for the job structure of school library staff with four dimensions and three domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR) developed by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) can be used to improve the performance of online public access catalogs (OPACs). The purpose of this paper is to reveal several characteristics of the "Works" in a Japanese academic library catalog and, based on these characteristics, determine how FRBR can enhance Japanese catalogs. Methods: KOSMOSII, the OPAC at Keio University Library, was selected as an example of a Japanese academic library catalog, and the sample records extracted from KOSMOSII were applied to FRBR Entities: Work, Expression, and Manifestation. One thousand Works were analyzed to determine the characteristics of the Works and the Relationships these Works have with each other. Results: As a result, it was determined that 81.6% of the sample records were Works which have only one Manifestation. This trend was the same as that identified in the OCLC study on Worldcat records. Four relationships were identified in this experiment; Revision, Translation, Multiple version, and Reproduction. In addition, the distinctive features of the Works, named as Work Patterns, were found in the fields of natural sciences, the arts, and literature. These results mean that FRBR could make Japanese library catalogs more effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The Japanese public library community is struggling with the issue of protecting the confidentiality of user information, because this is a key point in obtaining users' trust. The purpose of this paper is to analyze whether the community's efforts are consistent with its aims. Results: Japanese libraries are often requested to delete user information as soon as possible in order to protect user privacy. This policy is not only based on strengthening sensitivity to privacy, but also on the fact that police have ordered the disclosure of user information repeatedly in the past, and, by complying with their legal duties, librarians get labeled as disloyal. However, it is difficult to implement customized services like Amazon's recommendations without collecting user information, and the lack of such innovative client-centered services causes public libraries to stagnate. Therefore, it is obvious that the library community itself poses the largest hindrance to progress by refusing to improve its own services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sanda Erdelez's information behavior model of information encountering does not satisfactorily explain the relationship between active and passive information behaviors, and the types and definitions of unit behaviors which together constitute the process of information encountering. This paper examines Erdelez's model with regards to these two issues proposes a revised model, and discusses the validity of the model. The revised model has three main characteristics (1) The information encountering process is independent from the task which generates it, and the user does not necessarily go back to the original task (2) The information encountering process consists of the following eight unit behaviors: "noticing", "stopping", "examining", "use", "sharing", "storing", "returning", and "ending" (3) The unit behaviors are inter-related. In order to discuss the validity of the revised model, a series of qualitative interviews were conducted on information encountering on the Web. The results favor the validity of the model and show some new aspects of information encountering, some of which are presumably peculiar to the Web. These may contribute to further revisions of the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With hand press books, there can be variants within the same setting, as a result of corrections made while the print run is in progress. These ‘stop-press variants’ provide important clues to reconstruct the process of book production and discover practices unique to certain printing houses. Without collation, stop-press variants are very difficult to detect because they can be rather subtle. This article reviews methods and instruments that have been used to collate printed books in the past, such as the Hinman Collator. It goes on to describe the merits and demerits of these methods, and define the necessary and desirable requirements for collation—especially for collation of early printed books in Europe. This paper proposes a new approach to precise collation that makes use of the superimposition of digital images. In addition to being less costly, this approach is more detailed, more precise, and easier to implement than previous methods. Furthermore, it provides an objective way to identify differences. Two methods of applying the principle of superimposition, static and dynamic, are given along with technical details and software requirements. A case study is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines whether journals covered by the Brandon/Hill List (B/H List journals) could be sorted out by specific evaluation items based on data that can be obtained publicly. Suppose B/H List journals were positioned in the higher rank by specific evaluation items or combinations of items, then B/H List journals could be predicted to some extent using the evaluation items. That is, it would enable us to guess the selection criteria of the B/H List based on those evaluation items. Although it would not be possible to know the real criteria, reasonable equivalents to the selection criteria of the B/H List could be attained using those evaluation items. Impact factor, cited number, citing number, number of articles, cited number/citing number rate, first-publication year, price, price per issue, number of libraries archiving the journal were used as the evaluation items. Data concerning these items were gained from public information resources. Cardiovascular system, internal medicine, and surgery were determined as sample fields from 46 fields of the B/H List 2001 edition. Journals from each field were selected from the journal list of the 2000 edition of Journal Citation Reports on CD-ROM Science edition (JCR). There were 63 cardiovascular journals (7 were B/H list journals), 94 were internal medicine (14 were B/H list journals), and 132 were surgery journals (7 were B/H list journals). In the evaluation items scamined in this study, it became clear that "number of libraries archiving the journal" and "impact factor" can sort out the B/H List journals to some extent. However, B/H List journals were not completely sorted out by the evaluation items used in this research. This result suggests the need for seasoning with the additional factors such as experience, the intuition and other personal knowledge of the librarian, which cannot be expressed as an objective numerical value, to create journal selection criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]