Entire Town Library

   I’ve heard Mr.Yuichiro Hanai’s lecture last night.
   He had been working for Obuse town in Nagano prefecture as an adviser of planning town.
   Obuse town has twelve thousand people. however it has visitors of one million and twenty thousand per year.
  About thirty years ago, they started rebuilding town. They rearranged town design so that people can have some events and can walk around comfortably.

  They have an idea that outside of buildings belongs to public. They thought of forming community not making a theme park. Recently younger generation have succeeded the task, for example, a young mock made an equipment of slackline in his temple, young people pleased to come.

 As one of that movement, there is  MachiTosho , it means town library. They think the roll of library is let people comprehend the worldwide culture, which leads peace.
 Mr. Hanai worked for the Obuse Municipal Library. They treasured their local history, and archived the record of interviewing old citizen.

  In their library people may do anything at anywhere.
  In ordinary library, there are reading newspaper corner, or browsing corner, or studying corner. Obuse library is otherwise. Patrons are allowed to eat and to drink. Local materials are set near the entrance. Picture books are ordered by title. Their discipline is “People enjoy communicating and creating”. They planned an event which move five senses. One of the event was Wamon ; talk and listen, a kind of coaching.
  It had become popular among children, after that their parents became interested in, and they requested the lesson for adult to develop listening ability.
  He said the library is a hub. It connect the town and outside world.
  They continued second hand book selling for two years, then started Entire town Library. Here and there,at a small space books are displayed. Soybean paste shop, hardware store, cafe, and so on.
  Similar campaign has spread nationwide.

  At Hita city, the group called Ehonto has began a campaign. They suggests to make entire town library in Hita, with reusing the books from closed elementary school libraries. They called this project “Book ring”.
  For the purpose they held Mr.Yuichiro Hanai’s lecture last night.

  It is grate to let people especially children familiar with books.

   昨晩　花井裕一郎氏のお話を聴いた。
　花井さんは長野県小布施町でまちづくりに関わってきた。小布施町は人口およそ12000人だが年間120万人くらいの人が訪れる。30年ほど前町並み修復に取り組んだ。町のデザインを考えイベントをしたり人が落ち着いて歩けるようにした。建物の外はみんなのものという考え。テーマパークを作るのではなくコミュニティを作ろうと考えた。最近では若い世代が引き継いでいる。若い住職がお寺にスラックラインの設備を作り若い人でにぎわっている。
　まちとしょもそのようなまちづくりの一環。図書館の役割は世界に通用する教養を身につけること、ひいては平和につながると考えた。
　郷土の歴史を伝えることを重視し、お年寄りにインタヴューした記録を保存している。
　館内ではどこで何をしてもいい。普通の図書館は新聞を読むコーナー、雑誌を読むコーナー、勉強するコーナーなどがある。小布施の図書館は飲食もOK。郷土資料は入り口そば、絵本はタイトル順。理念は「交流と創造を楽しむ」。五感を動かすイベントを企画。そのひとつが話聞、一種のコーチング。子ども達に人気となりそこから親達が興味をもつようになり、大人向け聞く力養成講座も始まった。
　図書館はハブ機能だと言う。町の中と外の世界をつなげる。
　古本市を２年間やって、「まちじゅう図書館」を始めた。ちょっとしたスペースに本が置いてある、味噌やさん、金物やさん、カフェ、その他。全国に似た取り組みが広がっている。

　日田市ではエホントというグループが運動を始めている。日田で廃校になった小学校の図書館の本を使って「まちじゅう図書館」を作ろうと呼びかけている。そのプロジェクトをブックリングと呼んでいる。
　そのために昨夜は花井裕一郎さんの講演会を開催した。
　みんなが、とりわけ子どもたちが本にふれあえるのはとてもいいなあ。

24 June 2014