Title: Introduction to the Publishing Industry in Japan
1Introduction to the Publishing Industry in Japan
Publishing Slump and the Role of Libraries
- Yoko Kudo
- LIS 615 Collection Management
2Outline of Publishing Industry in Japan
Shuppan Nenkan 2001 (Tokyo Shuppan Nyususha,
2001) The Bowker Annual of library and book trade
information, 48ed. (New York R.R. Bowker, 2003)
3Outline of Publishing Industry in Japan
- Number of new titles published increases.
- Sales decrease.
- More titles published to increase sales.
- Sales continue to decrease.
- High return rate of books to publishers
4Possible Cause of Publishing Slump
- Two Traditional Book Distribution Systems
- Consignment- and Return Basis
- List Price Maintenance
Shinichi Sano, Dare ga Hon wo Korosunoka Who is
Killing the Books? (Tokyo Purejidentosha, 2001)
Shinichi Sano, Publishing Industrys Sorry
Chapter Japan Quarterly 48, no. 3 (Jul-Sep
2001) 84.
5Consignment and Return System
- Booksellers receive rather than buy from
publishers
Return unsold items within a period.
Short selling period and less effort to sell.
6List Price Maintenance
- Strict Adhesion to the fixed list prices of all
kinds of books throughout the distribution process
Protect the interests of publishers, vendors and
retailers
???
7Library Related Issues
- Limited number of public libraries.
- Excessive acquisition of best- selling books.
Shinichi Sano, Dare ga Hon wo Korosunoka Who is
Killing the Books? (Tokyo Purejidentosha, 2001)
8Limited Number of Public Libraries
- Only half of all cities, towns and villages have
a library. - almost one-thirteenth of the number in the U.K.
- (number of hub librariesJapan 1950, U.K.
24,869) - Low percentage of books purchased by libraries.
- Japan only 3 of all sales
- U.S. 20
- Sweden 50
9Acquisition of Best-selling Books
- Hundreds of copies acquired by libraries.
Publishers lose opportunities to sell.
- Should libraries buy many duplicate copies?
- Is acquiring best-selling books a real need of
users? - Dont libraries need to consider contributing to
publishing industry?
10- Thank you very much.
- Any questions and comments to
- Yoko Kudo
- yokokudo_at_hawaii.edu