教育｜全国の自治体に広がる電子図書館 / Education | Digital libraries expanding across municipalities nationwide

Summary

A report from the Digital Publishing Production and Distribution Council has revealed that over 30% of municipalities nationwide, totaling 613, have implemented electronic libraries.

Particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, many libraries were closed, leading to a significant increase in the lending of e-books. For example, Matsue City has recently launched its own electronic library, reflecting the ongoing progress in digitalization.

Dialogue

This dialogue is fictional and based on the article.

Chaco: Hey Log, did you see the recent news? It seems like electronic libraries are really on the rise!
Log: Yeah, I’ve heard that 613 municipalities have adopted them. The impact of the pandemic seems to be significant.
Chaco: I see! Since libraries were closed, it probably made it easier to borrow e-books, right?
Navi: Exactly. With libraries being closed, the demand for electronic libraries has increased.
Log: So, it means that as digitalization advances, the way we read is changing too.
Chaco: Well, it’s convenient, but actually reading a physical book is fun too!

Admin’s Note

I was surprised to see how much progress has been made in the implementation of digital libraries. In particular, I think the advancement of digitalization in response to the challenging situation of library closures during the COVID-19 pandemic is a positive change. I hope that as digital libraries become more widespread, even more people will be able to enjoy reading. As Chako mentioned, it’s important to value the joy of holding a physical book while also balancing the benefits of both digital and analog formats.