1. How the Law Defines Librarians as Specialized Staff
The Library Act in Japan defines librarians and assistant librarians as specialized staff. It states that librarians engage in "specialized duties," while assistant librarians help them. However, the law does not list exactly what those duties are. [1]
Another part of the same law lists examples of what libraries should try to do. These include collecting and providing materials, organizing catalogs, helping users with questions, lending books to other libraries, and holding reading groups or exhibitions. But these are just examples, not a complete list of a librarian’s job. [1]
To understand the work better, we can look at four specific scenes: choosing books, arranging them, answering research questions, and keeping reading records secret. First, let’s ask: who decides which books end up on the shelves?
2. Why Libraries Must Choose Which Books to Collect
Libraries have shelves, but they cannot place every book in the world. So, they set a policy about what materials to collect and why. A dictionary of library science terms describes "collection development" as an intentional process. This process involves selecting and collecting materials to achieve service goals, then maintaining and developing the collection. [3]
A literature review from the National Diet Library also states that collecting all materials is realistically impossible, so a policy is necessary. [3]
The work does not end when a book is bought. Librarians evaluate if the collection matches the policy. They also remove materials that have become old or have finished their role from the collection, a process called "weeding." [3]
So, choosing books is not just about putting bestsellers on the shelf. It is more like growing a garden so that the community always has books they want to read. Next, how do librarians arrange these chosen books so they are easy to find?
3. How Shelves Group Books by Topic
A common system for grouping books by topic is the Nippon Decimal Classification, or NDC. This is a classification table published by the Japan Library Association. It is said to be based on a table created by Mori Kiyoshi in 1929. [4]
The NDC divides topics into ten big groups, numbered 0 to 9. These groups are then broken down into smaller subgroups. There is also an index to help find the classification number for a specific word. [4]
When books are classified by topic, books about the same subject are placed near each other. You might find an unexpected book right next to the one you were looking for. However, how shelves are arranged and how signs are posted can differ from library to library. [4]
But sometimes, you cannot find a book on the shelf. What if you do not even know the title of the book you need? In that case, you can ask a librarian. How do they handle these questions?
4. How Librarians Record Research Questions in a National Database
Helping users find information is called "reference service." It is support provided by librarians to users who are looking for information or materials. Librarians act as intermediaries to provide or show the requested information. [8]
The National Diet Library works with libraries across Japan to collect records of these reference questions. They created a database called the Reference Cooperative Database, or "Refacoo" for short. [5]
As of December 2025, there were 949 participating libraries. This includes public, university, special, and school libraries. The number of recorded question cases was about 330,240. This is an increase from about 319,000 cases in March of the same year. [6]
For example, the database lists solved cases like, "I want to see a photo of the exterior of the Konpon Daito Pagoda on Mount Koya." The examples shown on the website change over time, so you might find different cases when you visit. [5]
To answer these questions, librarians must ask what the user wants to know. But how are these questions and borrowing records handled? Are they kept secret?
5. How Librarians Protect the Privacy of What You Read
The Japan Library Association adopted the "Freedom to Read Statement" in 1954 and revised it in 1979. It has four main points: freedom to collect materials, freedom to provide materials, protecting user privacy, and opposing all censorship. [7]
The third point states that what a reader reads belongs to that person's privacy. It says that libraries must not leak the user's reading facts to the outside. [7]
The introduction to the statement says that providing materials and facilities to people who have the freedom to know is a basic human right. This is considered the library’s most important duty. Because people can research what they want without anyone knowing, they can ask questions and read with peace of mind. [7]
However, this statement is a professional guideline by the Japan Library Association, not a law. It is something that people working in libraries try to keep as their own promise. Now that we see the outline of a librarian’s work, how can someone become a librarian, and what can you try at a library?
6. How to Become a Librarian and What to Try
According to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, there are several ways to get a librarian qualification. You can graduate from a university after taking library-related courses. Or, you can graduate from a university or college of technology and complete a librarian training course. Another way is to work as an assistant librarian for a total of 3 years or more and then complete the training. [2]
Training alone is not enough. You need a degree or at least 3 years of practical experience. [2]
There are two things you can try next time you visit a library. First, look at the signs above the shelves to find the rules for how that library organizes its books. Second, ask a librarian, "How did you choose the books in this section?" If you have a question, try asking it directly. If the librarian looks busy, you can look at signs or ask how to contact them. [2]
You can also practice using tables of contents and indexes at home. If you are interested, visit the Refacoo website to see how librarians at other libraries answered questions. This shows the range of a librarian’s work. [5]
Behind the checkout counter, librarians are choosing, arranging, answering, and protecting. At your next library visit, read a sign to find out how that library sorts its books.