Future Vision of Public Libraries: Mission and Program Level Analysis

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the service plans of public libraries in 31 municipalities in the This study examines the service plans of public libraries in 31 municipalities in the Kanto region of Japan. The aim is to clarify the characteristics of these plans. Plans are seen as reflecting users' needs. Therefore, their analysis can reveal what current users expect from libraries. The study focuses on two elements: “mission” and “programs.” Content analysis and text mining were used. At the mission level, many plans refer to traditional services such as “learning” and “reading.” Some plans also mention ideas like “creativity” and “future.” At the program level, “reading promotion” and “learning support” appear frequently. Some plans also focus on “community” and “childcare support.” However, few programs realize the ideas of “creativity” and “future” stated in the mission. In addition, international topics such as the SDGs are rarely included, and recent developments such as generative AI are seldom reflected.