Comparative study on Japanese prefectural public libraries

The authors analysed statistical data taken from the issues in 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975, and 1980 of Nippon no Toshokan (Annual statistics on libraries in Japan). The number of public libraries in prefecture, their holdings, annual acquisitions, and circulations were selected to re-present prefectural library activities and compared with the number of bookstores, their sales and the population of each prefecture. Results are: (1) a rapid growth is more evident in every item in the 1975-80 period than previous periods; (2) the growth rates of acquisitions and circulation are greater than those of the numbers of libraries and holdings; (3) almost all prefectures show growths in almost all items in the 1975-80 period; (4) a tendency toward concentration in the metropolitan prefectures is seen in the periods of 1965-1970 and 1970-1975, but such tendency terminates in the 1975-1980 period, especially in the numbers of libraries and acquisitions.