IIAI Open Conference Publication Series
IIAI Letters on Informatics and Interdisciplinary ResearchVol. 004, LIIR124
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52731/liir.v004.124

Study-aid Books and Workbooks in Japanese Public Libraries: Questionnaire and Holdings Survey
Mayu Ogawa *, Keita Tsuji *Abstract
Japan is no longer a prosperous country, and the number of junior high and high school students
from low-income families is increasing. Public libraries should provide resources that can aid in
the learning and development of these children. Based on that premise, we conducted (1) a survey
on Japanese public libraries’ holdings of study-aid books and workbooks for junior high and highschool students and (2) a questionnaire survey of libraries with and without these books. The
number of study-aid books and workbooks surveyed is 652, which were selected from Gakusan.com. Calil’s Library API and Questant in Macromill, Inc. were used for the holdings andquestionnaire surveys, respectively. The number of respondents to the questionnaire was 122.
Holdings survey showed that the number of libraries with study-aid books and workbooks was
relatively small. The questionnaire survey showed that the libraries without these books are mostconcerned about “writing,” however, according to the libraries with these books, writing is nodifferent from other books, and damage and loss are no further additional from other books.
Keywords: Study-aid books, Workbooks, Holdings, Public libraries, Low-income families

1 Introduction
Japan is no longer a prosperous country. According to the OECD, its poverty rate stands at 15.7%,
making it the 10th highest out of 41 countries [1]. Moreover, Japan’s poverty rate for single adulthouseholds with at least one child is 48.3%, which is the third highest among the 44 countries
listed by the OECD. The only countries with higher rates are Brazil (54.8%) and South Africa(49.8%) [2]. The increase in children from impoverished families is a significant motivation andbackground for this research. Public libraries should provide resources that can aid in the learningand development of these children.
Various resources can be considered, but this study focuses on study-aid books and workbooks
for college and high school entrance examinations. In the past, public libraries tended not to holdthem [3][4][5]. However, in recent years, their attitude towards studying for entrance examinations has changed. The installation of study rooms and allowing self-study within libraries areexamples. Minei (2018) also states that learning support is currently being implemented in public
libraries [6]. Furthermore, Tsuji (2022) states that students from low-income families want the
public libraries to have study-aid books and workbooks [7]. Public libraries should serve as repositories of educational resources and ensure students’ access to them. However, few studies
have clarified the extent to which Japanese public libraries hold study-aid books and workbooks*

University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan2

M. Ogawa, K. Tsuji

and what they think about holding such books. With this in mind, a survey was conducted toclarify (1) how many libraries hold how many study-aid books and workbooks and (2) how thelibraries with and without books feel.

2 Methods
This study conducted a survey of holdings and a questionnaire survey to clarify the current statusof study-aid books and workbooks holdings in public libraries. First, book holdings were surveyed, and then questionnaires were sent to libraries with many holdings and those without holdings. The following section first describes the survey of holdings and then the questionnaire survey.

2.1 Survey of holdings of study-aid books and workbooks for junior high and highschool students
2.1.1

Method of selecting study-aid books and workbooks for junior high and highschool students to be surveyed

In this study, we define “study-aid books and workbooks for junior high and high school students”
as books on English, mathematics, Japanese, science, and social studies that junior high and highschool students use mainly for high school and university entrance examinations and that authors
and publishers created mainly with such usage in mind.
Although such books are the subject of this study, it is difficult to distinguish the above studyaid books and workbooks from millions of other books based on our judgment alone. If there isa list of study-aid books and workbooks commonly used in the field of education, it would besafe and inexpensive to use such a list. But we could not find such a list. Therefore, in this study,
we decided to use the recommendations of websites that were hit by searching for “study-aid
books and workbooks introduction site (参考書・問題集 紹介サイト)” on Google. The above
search returned several hits, but Gakusan.com (https://www.gakusan.com/), an online bookstore
for study-aid books and workbooks, had the best coverage, and most of the books recommended
by the other sites were included in Gakusan.com. Therefore, we chose study-aid books and workbooks from Gakusan.com for this study. Specifically, we first clicked on the subject name in the“For junior high school students” and “For high school students” categories, and extracted the
top 10% most popular titles out of all titles displayed as a result of sorting by “popularity.” Forexample, in the case of study-aid books and workbooks for high school students’ English, weused the top 113 titles out of the 1,124 titles sorted by “popularity” in the search results for “university entrance exams, high school students’ English study-aid books and workbooks” on Gakusan.com.
Incidentally, Gakusan.com has five sorting orders: “by popularity,” “by newest,” “by title,”“by price,” and “by publisher.” In this study, we adopted the “by popularity” sort in order toinvestigate whether public libraries hold study-aid books and workbooks that are more popular,i.e., in demand by many junior high and high school students. Although it was not clear how“popularity” is determined in Gakusan.com, as there is no description on the website, it does not

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Study-aid Books and Workbooks in Japanese Public Libraries: Questionnaire and Holdings Survey

seem to deviate greatly from the general popularity, since the study-aid books and workbooks
recommended on other websites are generally listed at the top of the list.
The reason for limiting the number of study-aid books and workbooks to the top 10% in “popularity” rather than the entire list is twofold: (1) if we increase the number of study-aid books andworkbooks titles subject to investigation, the time required for the holdings survey will become
very long, as described later, and (2) conversely, if the number of titles is too small, the results
will be unstable. Therefore, we comprehensively judged and set it to the top 10%. As a result,
221 titles for junior high school students and 431 titles for high school students, for a total of 652
sample titles were obtained. The numbers of titles by subjects are shown in Table 1. The data wascollected from Gakusan.com on February 7, 2023.
Table 1: The numbers of titles of study-aid books and workbooks investigatedHigh School

JuniorHigh School

English113

66

Mathematics

88

55

Japanese84

33

Science7034

Social Studies

76

33

Total

431

221

2.1.2 Method of investigating the number of study-aid books and workbooks held by
public libraries
In this study, we used Calil’s Library API to find out how many study-aid books and workbooks
are held by public libraries in Japan [8]. According to the Japan Library Association, 1,394 municipalities (prefectures, cities, wards, towns, and villages) have public libraries in Japan (as ofApril 1, 2022) [9]. On the other hand, the number of IDs of municipalities that were provided by
Calil was 1,479 (as of February 7, 2023). Although the relationship between 1,394 and 1,479 isunclear, this study approximated the latter as the number of municipalities and investigated how
many of the 652 titles mentioned above were held by these 1,479 municipalities. The investigation period was from February 7 to 27, 2023 (i.e., it took three weeks for Calil API to search and
if we used, for instance, top 20% instead of 10% in Gakusan.com, the time will be doubled). As
we will show in detail, the number of libraries that held at least 3 titles was 113 (henceforth, wecall them “libraries with study-aid books and workbooks”). The number of libraries that held notitle was 893 (similarly, we call them “libraries without study-aid books and workbooks”).

2.2 Questionnaire survey on study-aid books and workbooks holdings for juniorhigh and high school students
We sent surveys electronically to 67 libraries out of the above-mentioned 113 libraries whose email addresses or inquiry forms were found. In other words, we chose only libraries to which we
could send questionnaires electronically as our sample, mainly for economic reasons. For

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3

4

M. Ogawa, K. Tsuji

libraries without study-aid books and workbooks, we randomly selected 245 libraries out of theabove-mentioned 893 libraries, and sent surveys to 154 libraries whose e-mail addresses or inquiry forms were found.
The questionnaire was created using Questant, a self-administered survey tool developed andoperated by Macromill, Inc. Three types of questionnaires were sent to three groups of libraries:
those with 6 titles or more, those with 3 to 5 titles, and those with none in their collections. The
questionnaires were basically single-choice, but there were also some open-ended questions. The
questions are as follows:➢ Why do you hold study-aid books and workbooks?
➢ Do users write more in study-aid books and workbooks than in other books?
➢ Do study-aid books and workbooks have a shorter life span than other books due to damage
or stains?
➢ Are study-aid books and workbooks lost by users more often than other books?
➢ Are study-aid books and workbooks more frequently used (checked out, browsed, etc.) thanother books?
➢ What do you do when you receive requests for study-aid books and workbooks?
➢ How do you select study-aid books and workbooks?
➢ Do you have study rooms for students?
➢ Do you cooperate with the children’s cafeteria (KODOMO SHOKUDO, i.e. volunteer-run
cafeteria in Japan providing free or inexpensive meals to children, etc.), such as loan togroups?
➢ If you answered “Yes” to the above question, please answer the following. What kind ofcooperation do you have?
➢ Do you provide services other than those with the children's cafeteria, with a view to juniorhigh and high school students from low-income families?
➢ If you answered “Yes” to the above question, please answer the following. What kind ofservice, special area, or materials do you provide?
➢ What kind of cooperation do you have with neighboring school libraries, or would like tohave in the future?
➢ Finally, please feel free to share your opinions about public libraries providing study-aid
books and workbooks for junior high and high school students in Japan, where the numberof low-income families is increasing.
➢ Why do not you hold study-aid books and workbooks?
The questionnaire was sent out from March 8th to March 9th, 2023, and responses were accepted
until March 25th, 2023.

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5

Study-aid Books and Workbooks in Japanese Public Libraries: Questionnaire and Holdings Survey

3 Results
3.1 Results of the holdings survey
The results of the holdings survey are shown in Tables 2 and 3. Table 2 shows that 25 libraries
had 6 titles or more, 88 libraries had 3 to 5 titles, and 893 libraries had none. It can be said thatthe number of libraries with study-aid books and workbooks is relatively small.
Table 3 shows that the library with the largest number of study-aid books and workbooks was
Minamisoma City Library, with 43 titles. Toyohashi City Library and OTEPIA Kochi Librarywere next, with 25 and 24 titles, respectively.
Table 2: The numbers of libraries by
the number of titles held
The Numbers The Numbersof Titles Heldof Libaries

43

1

25

Total
25

Table 3: Top 10 libraries that held many titles
Libraries

The Numbersof Titles HeldMinamisoma City Library in Fukushima

43

1

Toyohashi City Library in Aichi

25

24

1

OTEPIA Kochi Library in Kochi

24

16

1

Shirakawa Public Library in Fukushima

16

15

1

13

1

Yokohama City Library in Kanagawa

15

11

2

Kobe City Library in Hyogo

13

10

2

Meguro Public Library in Tokyo

11

9

3

Osaka Municipal Library in Osaka

11

8

3

Narita Public Library in Chiba

10

7

4

Yamaga City Library in Kumamoto

10

6

5

5

17

4

25

3

46

2

131

1

342

0

893

893

Total

1,479

1,479

88

473

3.2 Results of the questionnaire survey
The total number of libraries that responded to our survey was 122, of which 18 had 6 titles or
more, 44 had 3 to 5 titles, and 60 had none. Henceforth, we will call them as L6+, L3-5, and L0,
respectively. Table 4 shows their municipality types.
We can see in Table 4 that, in L6+ and L3-5, there are many prefectural and city libraries,
whereas in L0, there are many town and village libraries. Whether or not a library holds studyaid books and workbooks may be related to factors such as the library’s size and budget.

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6

M. Ogawa, K. Tsuji

Table 4: The numbers of L6+, L3-5, and L0 by municipality types
Prefecture

City

Ward

Town

Village

Total

L6+

11.1 (

2 ) 61.1 ( 11 ) 27.8 (

5)

0.0 (

0)

0.0 (

0)

18

L3-5

4.5 (

2 ) 86.4 ( 38 )

4.5 (

2)

4.5 (

2)

0.0 (

0)

44

L0

5.0 (

3 ) 50.0 ( 30 )0.0 (0 ) 38.3 ( 23 )

6.7 (

4)

60

3.2.1 Reasons for holding the study-aid books and workbooks
Reasons why L6+ and L3-5 hold study-aid books and workbooks are shown in Table 5 (multiple
answers were allowed). The most common reason for holding these books was “Because it is thelibrary’s mission to support users’ learning” in L6+, L3-5, and overall (however, “Others” isexcluded). In L6+, both this reason and “Because they are often requested” were tied for firstplace with 22.2%. It can be said that in these libraries, a relatively large number of them purchasestudy-aid books and workbooks based on the library’s mission or purpose and user requests. In
L3-5, although “Because they are often requested” remained at 9.1%, it ranked third in the order.
Table 5: Response to the question “Why do you hold study-aid books and workbooks?”
Reasons

L6+

L3-5

Total

Because it is the library’s mission to support users’ learning.

22.2 ( 4 ) 20.5 ( 9 ) 21.0 ( 13 )Because they are often requested.

22.2 ( 4 )Because it is difficult for junior high and high school students to buy all thenecessary study-aid books and workbooks on their own.
Because they are frequently used.

9.1 ( 4 ) 12.9 ( 8 )16.7 ( 3 ) 11.4 ( 5 ) 12.9 ( 8 )16.7 ( 3 )

9.1 ( 4 ) 11.3 ( 7 )16.7 ( 3 )

6.8 ( 3 )9.7 ( 6 )16.7 ( 3 )

4.5 ( 2 )8.1 ( 5 )11.1 ( 2 )

2.3 ( 1 )

4.8 ( 3 )11.1 ( 2 )

2.3 ( 1 )

4.8 ( 3 )Because we want users to use them in our study rooms.

0.0 ( 0 )6.8 ( 3 )

4.8 ( 3 )Because they do not become burden on the budget very much.

11.1 ( 2 )

0.0 ( 0 )3.2 ( 2 )5.6 ( 1 )0.0 ( 0 )1.6 ( 1 )Because they do not take up space on the shelves very much.

5.6 ( 1 )0.0 ( 0 )1.6 ( 1 )Because public libraries in the neighborhood have them.

0.0 ( 0 )0.0 ( 0 )0.0 ( 0 )Others66.7 ( 12 ) 77.3 ( 34 ) 74.2 ( 46 )Because there are some RONIN students and adults who cannot use school
libraries.
Because the number of poor families and poor children/youth is increasing inJapan.
Because we can increase the number of library users.
Because there are some students who do not want to use school libraries eventhough they can use them.

Because school libraries in the neighborhood do not have many study-aid books
and workbooks.

3.2.2 Writing
Table 6 shows whether library users in L6+ and L3-5 wrote more in the study-aid books andworkbooks than in other books. When we asked libraries to cooperate in the survey, 6 (33.3%)of the L6+ and 13 (29.5%) of the L3-5 asked us to tell them the titles of the study-aid books andworkbooks that we thought they had in their collections. These libraries might have responded tothe question about the writing (and also stains, frequency of use, etc., which we will mention
later) in the study-aid books and workbooks based on the titles we told. In that sense, their answers might be reliable.

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7

Study-aid Books and Workbooks in Japanese Public Libraries: Questionnaire and Holdings Survey

The most common answer was “No different from other books” (41.9%). Although two libraries answered “More than other books,” one library answered “Less than other books.” Thus, theamount of writing in the study-aid books and workbooks may not be much different from that inother books.
Table 6: Response to the question “Do users write more in study-aid books and workbooks thanin other books?”
Very lessNothan otherLess thanbooks

Much moredifferentMore thanother books from other other books

than otherWe do not

books

know

Others

Total

L6+

0.0 (

0)

5.6 (

1 ) 50.0 (

9)

0.0 (

0)

0.0 (

0 ) 16.7 (3 ) 27.8 (

5)

18

L3-5

0.0 (

0)

0.0 (

0 ) 38.6 ( 17 )

4.5 (

2)

0.0 (

0 ) 40.9 ( 18 ) 15.9 (

7)

44

Total

0.0 (

0)

1.6 (

1 ) 41.9 ( 26 )

3.2 (

2)

0.0 (

0 ) 33.9 ( 21 ) 19.4 ( 12 )62

3.2.3 Lifespan due to damage or stain
Table 7 shows whether the lifespan of study-aid books and workbooks is shorter compared toother books due to damage or stain. Overall, the response “No different from other books” wasthe most common (43.5%). Although one library answered “Shorter than other books,” two libraries answered “Longer than other books.” Thus, the lifespan of the study-aid books and workbooks may not be much different from that of other books.
Table 7: Response to the question “Do study-aid books and workbooks have a shorter life span
than other books due to damage or stains?”
Very longer
than other

Longer thanbooks

other books

No different

Very shorterfrom other Shorter than

than otherWe do not

books

know

books

other books

Others

Total

L6+

0.0 (

0)

5.6 (

1 ) 55.6 ( 10 )

0.0 (

0)

0.0 (

0 ) 16.7 (3 ) 22.2 (

4)

18

L3-5

0.0 (

0)

2.3 (

1 ) 38.6 ( 17 )

2.3 (

1)

0.0 (

0 ) 45.5 ( 20 ) 11.4 (

5)

44

Total

0.0 (

0)

3.2 (

2 ) 43.5 ( 27 )

1.6 (

1)

0.0 (

0 ) 37.1 ( 23 ) 14.5 (

9)

62

3.2.4 Loss
Table 8 shows whether study-aid books and workbooks are lost more than other books. Overall,
the response “No different from other books” was the most common (41.9%). Although one
library answered “More than other books,” one library answered “Very less than other books.”Thus, the loss of the study-aid books and workbooks may not be much different from that ofother books.

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8

M. Ogawa, K. Tsuji

Table 8: Response to the question “Are study-aid books and workbooks lost by users more often than other books?”
Very less

No different

Much morethan otherLess thanfrom other

More than

than otherWe do notbooks

other books

books

other books

books

know

Others

Total

L6+

5.6 (

1)

0.0 (

0 ) 55.6 ( 10 )

0.0 (

0)

0.0 (

0 ) 16.7 (3 ) 22.2 (

4)

18

L3-5

0.0 (

0)

0.0 (

0 ) 36.4 ( 16 )

2.3 (

1)

0.0 (

0 ) 45.5 ( 20 ) 15.9 (

7)

44

Total

1.6 (

1)

0.0 (

0 ) 41.9 ( 26 )

1.6 (

1)

0.0 (

0 ) 37.1 ( 23 ) 17.7 ( 11 )62

3.2.5 Frequency of use
Table 9 shows the frequency of use of study-aid books and workbooks compared to other books.
Overall, the most common response was “We do not know” (45.2%), followed by “No different
from other books” (33.9%).
Table 9: Response to the question “Are study-aid books and workbooks more frequently used(checked out, browsed, etc.) than other books?”
Much morethan other
books

No
More than

Very lessdifferent

Less than

than otherWe do not

books

know

other books from other other books

Others

Total

L6+

0.0 (

0)

5.6 (

1 ) 33.3 (

6)

0.0 (

0)

0.0 (

0 ) 33.3 (6 ) 27.8 (

5)

18

L3-5

0.0 (

0)

0.0 (

0 ) 34.1 ( 15 )

4.5 (

2)

0.0 (

0 ) 50.0 ( 22 ) 11.4 (

5)

44

Total

0.0 (

0)

1.6 (

1 ) 33.9 ( 21 )

3.2 (

2)

0.0 (

0 ) 45.2 ( 28 ) 16.1 ( 10 )62

3.2.6 Response to requests (purchase requests)
Table 10 shows how the libraries respond to purchase requests for study-aid books and workbooks. Only one L6+ library (5.6%) answered “Basically, we purchase them.” However, as we
saw in Table 5, 22.2% of L6+ and 9.1% of L3-5 selected “Because they are often requested” asthe reason for holding study-aid books and workbooks. As we will see in Table 11, many libraries
selected “We purchase requested books” as one of the methods of book selection. These indicatethat the user’s request, though initially declined, may be documented and considered again during
the book selection process and subsequently purchased.
Table 10: Response to the question “What do you do when you receive requests for study-aid
books and workbooks?”
Basically, we

Basically, we

purchase themdecline the request

L6+

5.6 (

1)

44.4 (

L3-5

0.0 (

0)

Total

1.6 (

1)

8)

Others50.0 (

Total
9)

18

77.3 ( 34 )22.7 ( 10 )44

67.7 ( 42 )30.6 ( 19 )62

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9

Study-aid Books and Workbooks in Japanese Public Libraries: Questionnaire and Holdings Survey

3.2.7 Methods of book selection
Table 11 shows the selection method of study-aid books and workbooks (multiple answers wereallowed). The most common (excluding “Others”) for overall was “We select books by using
approval system with bookstores” (21.0%). The next most common was “We purchase requested
books” (19.4%). As for the request, the tendency is different between L6+ and L3-5, with only
9.1% of L3-5 chose this option, while 44.4% of L6+ chose this. This tendency is similar to thatobserved in Table 5.
Table 11: Response to the question “How do you select study-aid books and workbooks?”
We select bookswith good
We select books

We select books

by using approvalsystem withbookstores
L6+

27.8 (

5)

L3-5

18.2 (

8)

Total

21.0 ( 13 )reputations inrecommended by online bookstores
We purchasebook distributors

such as Amazon

requested books

such as TRC

and Gakusan.com

44.4 (

8)

11.1 (

9.1 (4)

13.6 (

6)

6.8 (

3)

6.8 (

3 ) 75.0 ( 33 )19.4 ( 12 )12.9 (

8)

8.1 (

5)

4.8 (

3 ) 72.6 ( 45 )2)

11.1 (

2)

We do not
know
0.0 (

Others0 ) 66.7 ( 12 )3.2.8 Reasons for not having study-aid books and workbooks
Table 12 shows the reasons why L0 does not hold study-aid books and workbooks (multiple
answers were allowed). The most common reason was “Because they are likely to be written in
more than other books,” which was selected by about half of the libraries (46.7%). However,according to L6+ and L3-5, writing in study-aid books and workbooks is not more common thanin other books as mentioned earlier. L0 may not need to fear writing so much.
Table 12: Response to the question “Why do not you hold study-aid books and workbooks?”
Reasons

L0

Because they are likely to be written in more than other books.

46.7 ( 28 )Because they will be burden on the budget.

28.3 ( 17 )Because they are likely to be damaged or stained more quickly than other books.

26.7 ( 16 )Because they will take up space on the shelves.

23.3 ( 14 )Because CHUSHO Report recommends not to provide them.

15.0 (

9)

Because students can study better if they buy study-aid books and workbooks by themselves.

13.3 (

8)

8.3 (

5)

Because there are no requests.

8.3 (

5)

Because we want students to use study-aid books and workbooks held in school libraries.

6.7 (

4)

Because we want school library to have them first if it does not have them.

5.0 (

3)

5.0 (

3)

Because they are probably not used.

1.7 (

1)

Because many students will come to the library and occupy the reading room.

1.7 (

1)

Because we prohibit study in our library and it is difficult to draw a line between browsing and

1.7 (

1)

Because we used to provide study-aid books and workbooks, but they were rarely used.

0.0 (

0)

0.0 (

0)

Because study-aid books and workbooks are not so expensive and can be purchased byindividuals.

Because we want RONIN students and adults to buy study-aid books and workbooks bythemselves even if they cannot use school libraries.

Because we used to have study-aid books and workbooks, but there were complaints from nonstudent users.
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10

M. Ogawa, K. Tsuji

3.2.9 Services with a view to junior high and high school students from low-income
families
Table 13 shows whether the respondents provide services to junior high and high school students
from low-income families, in cooperation with children’s cafeterias (KODOMO SHOKUDO,
i.e., volunteer-run cafeteria in Japan providing free or inexpensive meals to children, etc.). The
13 libraries (two L6+, six L3-5, and five L0) answered “Yes.” They were then asked an openended question what kind of cooperation they provide. The answers were (1) reading aloud tochildren, (2) loan to groups, and (3) book mobile (BM).
Table 13: Response to the question “Do you cooperate with the children’s cafeteria, such asloan to groups?”
Not atpresent, but
Yes, we do.

No, we do not.

we areTotal

L6+

11.1 (

2)

88.9 (

16 )

0.0 (

0)

18

L3-5

13.6 (

6)

86.4 (

38 )

0.0 (

0)

44

L0

8.3 (

5)

88.3 (

53 )

3.3 (

2)

60

Table 14 shows whether the respondents provide services to junior high and high school students
from low-income families, other than in cooperation with children’s cafeterias. The number oflibraries that answered “Yes” was small, with only four libraries (one L6+, one L3-5, and twoL0). All of the specific services provided were related to providing information resources.

Table 14: Response to the question “Do you provide services other than those with the children’s cafeteria, with a view to junior high and high school students from low-income families?”
Not atpresent, but
Yes, we do.

No, we do not.

we areTotal

L6+

11.1 (

2)

88.9 (

16 )

0.0 (

0)

18

L3-5

13.6 (

6)

86.4 (

38 )

0.0 (

0)

44

L0

8.3 (

5)

88.3 (

53 )

3.3 (

2)

60

3.2.10 Cooperation with school libraries
The responses to an open-ended question “What kind of cooperation do you have with neighboring school libraries, or would like to have in the future?” were as follows. First of all, the most

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Study-aid Books and Workbooks in Japanese Public Libraries: Questionnaire and Holdings Survey

common was loan to groups. 14 libraries in L6+ (77.8%), 30 libraries in L3-5 (68.2%), and 33
libraries in L0 (55.0%) referred to this. There was also an answer stating that “The same system
is used in both school and public libraries, which can be searched by each other and borrowed
from each other.”
One L0 library provided the following response: “We are making use of each other’s collections with limited budgets. We are planning to focus on certification exams (English, Chinesecharacters, mathematics), and would like to start by gathering study-aid books and workbooks
for that purpose.” It is possible that some libraries that did not have study-aid books and workbooks in their collections may start to offer them in the future.

3.2.11 Comments from L6+ libraries
We asked L6+ only, “Please feel free to give us your opinions about public libraries providing
study-aid books and workbooks for junior high and high school students in Japan, where thenumber of low-income families is increasing.” The followings are some excerpts from the responses: “Providing all citizens, including those from low-income households, with the opportunity to obtain information from study-aid books and workbooks is a meaningful activity for
public libraries,” “If there is a high demand for study-aid books and workbooks, public libraries
could provide them to some extent.” In addition, there were positive opinions on the library’s
holdings of study-aid books and workbooks, such as “If we provide study-aid books and workbooks to young people who have the motivation to learn, but cannot afford to purchase the books
due to economic issues or are unable to go to school due to various reasons, they can study withpeace of mind” and “Our city is now working on to support single-parent households, and it isimportant to provide opportunities for learning to junior high and high school students at thelibrary.” This is exactly what the focus of this study is on, as students from low-income families
need support in their education.

4 Conclusions
In this study, we surveyed the holdings of study-aid books and workbooks in Japanese public
libraries and conducted a questionnaire survey. The results revealed that while there were 113
libraries that held at least 3 titles, and 25 libraries that held at least 6 titles, there were 893 libraries
that do not hold a single title. It can be said that the number of libraries with study-aid books andworkbooks is relatively small. The questionnaire survey showed that L0 are most concerned
about “writing,” but according to L6+ and L3-5, writing is no different from other books, anddamage and loss are also no different from other books.
Future tasks include: (1) surveying the extent to which school libraries hold and provide studyaid books and workbooks, and (2) clarifying whether there are differences by media, such as
electronic books and paper materials. We would like to further clarify the obstacles for public
libraries to hold study-aid books and workbooks, and then explore ways to support students tolearn in public libraries.

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M. Ogawa, K. Tsuji

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Copyright © by IIAI. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.