●Nathan Shiga: October 17

Here’ s a petty appeal: Don’t lend out pocketbooks. It’s rather controversial, too, coming from the president of a major publisher. The appeal was made at a convention of public libraries in Tokyo, October 13, The libraries are there to attract bookworms by lending books, while the publishers survive by selling them. Well?

The National Convention of Libraries Tokyo Session was held in Shibuya, Tokyo, discuss issues related to libraries and publishing industry, where President Kiyoto Matsui of Bungei Shunjusha made the appeal to the effect that his publishing house had suffered a continual drop in the sale of pocketbooks by some 6% over the past three years. President Matsui further elaborated:

“Pocketbooks account for 30% of our revenue and we are obligated to publish good pocketbooks for the sake of writers.

“We would appeal to the libraries not to lend out pocketbooks. We would hope this appeal will start some serious debate.”

Professor Akira Nemoto of Keio University, well informed of publication in relation to the library, argued:

“There’s no evidence to substantiate lending at the libraries actually affecting book sales.

“That said, it is necessary for all parties concerned, that is, publishers, libraries, writers, etc. to share the obligation to navigate a huge vessel named publication culture forward.”

It is a head-on clash of mission between the library to enlighten the public readership and the publishing industry to supply books for profit. Let us see how the ball bounces.

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