Public Libraries

Number of libraries --- April 2005

  municipal government ordinance city special ward town village total prefecture
number of local governments 725 14 23 1,318 338 2,418 47
number of local governments that have library services 711 14 23 707 65 1,520 47
Percentage 98.1% 100% 100% 53.6% 19.2% 62.9% 100%
number of libraries * 1,630 197 213 759 68 2,867 62
population per each library 47,190 108,173 38,216 15,349 6,912 41,329 2,045,484
municipal, government ordinance city, special ward: 748/762=98.6%
town and village: 772/1,65646.6 *This number excludes two regional libraries.

Budget for materials (10,000 yen)

fiscal year number of libraries budget for materials per each library prefecture %
1990 1,898 2,640,745 1,391 357,265 13.5
1991 1,955 2,927,318 1,497 357,326 12.2
1992 2,011 3,129,312 1,556 438,972 14
1993 2,091 3,381,606 1,617 451,446 13.3
1994 2,180 3,393,226 1,557 447,334 13.2
1995 2,270 3,497,602 1,541 452,333 12.9
1996 2,336 3,594,158 1,539 434,937 12.1
1997 2,423 3,625,861 1,496 450,150 12.4
1998 2,499 3,648,930 1,460 428,179 11.7
1999 2,560 3,676,344 1,436 406,936 11.1
2000 2,613 3,615,654 1,384 385,097 10.6
2001 2,655 3,535,152 1,332 372,270 10.5
2002 2,686 3,491,479 1,300 365,532 10.5
2003 2,735 3,348,285 1,224 359,702 10.7
2004 2,803 3,327,680 1,187 336,713 10.1
2005 2,931 3,211,166 1,096 325,487 10.1
@Fprefectures accounting for total budget

Staffing: Librarian

fiscal year number of libraries librarian
staffs professional librarian rate %
1990 1,898 13,255 6,754 50.95
1991 1,955 13,631 6,964 51.09
1992 2,011 14,200 7,265 51.16
1993 2,091 14,699 7,517 51.14
1994 2,180 15,152 7,728 51.08
1995 2,270 15,000 7,733 51.55
1996 2,336 15,172 7,745 51.05
1997 2,423 15,359 7,858 51.16
1998 2,499 15,429 7,894 51.16
1999 2,560 15,356 7,800 50.79
2000 2,613 15,175 7,592 50.03
2001 2,655 15,228 7,518 49.37
2002 2,686 15,181 7,426 48.92
2003 2,735 14,829 7,275 49.06
2004 2,803 14,572 7,176 49.25
2005 2,931 14,206 7,042 49.57