A study on the railroad library under the Japanese rule

철도도서관에 관한 고찰 -특히 일제하의 도서관봉사활동을 중심으로-

Among many open libraries under the rule of the Japanese imperialism, only the railroad library as the character of special library under the control of the Japanese Government General is remarkable for having opened its facilities to outsiders as well as the interior users. This study tries a) To look into what were the colonial background, aim and motive of the establishment of the railroad library under the Japanese rule, b) To analyze its activities and the change of its organization, c) And to find out its vestiges an the effects which it has on our country's library circles. The following are the result: A. The railroad library under the rule of the Japanese imperialism functioned as a public library by the outside book's circulation rather than the interior using. B. The outsiders were qualified to use it only when they got the joint guarantee for the city resident, which means that the o n.0, pportunity of the circulation was not free for the Koreans rather than the Japanese. C. From the aspect of collections, technical books such as natural science, and reference ones tended to be collected, and their whole composition was focused on the materials for the Japan-Korea identification scheme and development of the national spirit as the Japanese empire's subjects. D. In the respect of its organization, all the clerical employees, as well as the chief librarian were composed of the Japanese. Although the Koreans were in principle prohibited from working there, a few of them were employed as guard or servant as the China-Japan War was close to the end. E. The area of the outside book's, circulation service was expanded throughout the whole region along the railroad connecting Pusan with Manchuria. Such a service activity which contained several meanings, was tried by means of culture's books, circuit's books, train's books, hotel's books, mind's development books and reader's reading books etc. F. Such matters as the limitation on book circulating and the quantity of circulation book, the paid circulation and the partial restriction on free circulation mean the wartime system under the rule of the Japanese imperialism and also a n.0, ppeared as a factor of hampering the Koreans from getting accustomed to using library, which has affected them until now. G. The noticeable thing in the service activity is shown in attempting the diversified and positive way of service like free circulation in order to solidify the attitude of the Koreans toward war by organizing mind's development books as well as culture's books with the China-Japan War. H. On the other hand, it can not be passed over that the diversified service activity of the railroad library played a role of bridge in turning of today's library circles of ours to the modernization.