The present status of library services to children and young adults in Japanese public libraries and their future

Both Children's services and Young Adult (YA) services have been recognized as essential in Japanese public libraries. This article reports on the present status of Children's services and YA services in Japanese public libraries, based on the results of several investigations. These studies show that children's services in Japanese public libraries already are generally popular. On the other hand, this article indicates that YA services in Japanese public libraries are gradually improving, due to the national recognition of the importance of YA library services. Examples of good practices in Children's and YA services in Japanese public libraries are described and analyzed to identify the common themes that flow through these innovations. This article concludes with observations about the future involving library services for children and YAs, from the viewpoints of face-to-face traditional services and indirect services through their official websites.