Widespread Damage Reported to Libraries in Japan

Japanese library users have uploaded numerous photographs to the social media site Togetter that show a portion of the havoc the March 11 earthquake wreaked on Japanese libraries. The photographs run the gamut from small-town libraries to the prestigious Waseda University in Tokyo.

The librarian community in Japan has also created a Wiki called Savelibrary, which is organized by prefecture and provides a page for each library within a prefecture to describe the damage at its facility. The site also includes links to articles and other resources that explain what libraries should do to address different needs, such as power outages, structural damage, etc.

In a posting on its website, the Japan Library Association (JLA) called upon the government to catalog as quickly as possible the extent of the damage to libraries of all types and to make the information public.

The association was also mildly critical of the government, saying that efforts have been too focused on damage to schools and universities and that not enough attention has been paid to the situation public libraries face.

The Wiki page for the Sendai Public Library reports that no one at the library was hurt the day of the earthquake but that 80 percent to 90 percent of the books were thrown from the shelves, the ceiling was damaged, and it is now too dangerous to enter the building. Sendai, in Miyagi Prefecture, was at the epicenter of the 9.0-magnitude earthquake.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported today that the library in Minamisanriku, also in Miyagi Prefecture, had been swept away by the tsunami that struck in the wake of the earthquake and obliterated the town. A video of the tsunami as it hit the town is here.

Other libraries, such as the Mito City Public Library and the Ibaraki City Public Library, both in Ibaraki Prefecture, report that they also have had to close their doors indefinitely.

Tohoku University, which serves northeast Japan, reported damage to numerous campus buildings, including several libraries; the school has closed until at least late April.

The National Diet Library in Tokyo also was affected, reporting on its website on March 15 that owing to damage at the main building certain material could not be made available for loans and that interlibrary loans were being affected due to transportation problems, as well.

American Library Association (ALA) president Roberta Stevens and Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels sent a letter to leaders of JLA offering ALA's support. Addressed to President Noboru Shiomi and Executive Director Kaname Matsuoka, the letter read:

"We were deeply distressed to hear the news today about the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. On behalf of the American Library Association, we would like to extend our condolences for those who have lost their lives in these terrible disasters. Please know that ALA members around the world are concerned about our friends and colleagues in your nation.

"We stand ready to support the Japan Library Association in whatever way we can to help the recovery efforts."