The Graduate School of Education, University of Tokyo
Abstract
Before the WWII, there were few educational institutions of library science in Japan. During the Allied occupation period, some library training courses were held, ex. at Doshisha and Kyoto Universities, but they were on the lines of the pre-war framework, stressing on how to administrate a library. In 1948,Robert B. Downs suggested to establish a library institution at the University of Tokyo, in vain. Then in 1950,GHQ/SCAP began a program of establishing Japan Library School (JLS) with support of ALA, in order to train professional Japanese librarians. This represents a shift of occupational library policy from reformation as a whole to specification to library training. Robert L. Gitler, the director of JLS, chose Keio University, favoring its westernized philosophy. With financial support of Rockefeller Foundation, JLS went into orbit. There held Americanized library curriculum, laying stress on understanding of library\u27s role in society as well as technical methods. It joined Japanese and American librarianship
