Researcher Database

（Last updated : 2025-04-06 16:28:15）　

KUNO Kazuko

Department / Course College of Letters Japanese Literature Program

Title / Position Professor

Academic background
1.	2008/04～2011/03	Master Course │ Library and Information Science │ Graduate School of Education │ Kyoto University │ Completed Master’s degree of Education
2.	1994/04～1996/03	Master Course │ American Studies │ Graduate School of Area Studies │ University of Tsukuba │ Completed Master’s degree of Area Studies
3.	1989/09～1990/02	Diploma Course of Linguistics │ Department of Linguistics │ The University of British Colombia │ Studying abroad
4.	1988/01～1988/08	Department of Psychology │ Stony Brook University, New York │ Studying abroad

Business career
1.	2022/04 ～	Professor │ Faculty of Letters │ Ritsumeikan University
2.	2014/04 ～ 2022/03	Associate Professor │ Faculty of Letters, Department of Education │ Kobe Women’s University
3.	2012/04 ～ 2014/03	Lecturer │ Comprehensive Course of Lifestyle Design │ Aichi Gakusen College

Committee and society
1.	2019/01 ～	Takarazuka Public Library Council councilor
2.	2017/05 ～	Hyogo Prefectural Library Council councilor
3.	2011/09 ～	Nippon Library Association member

Research activities
1.	2020/04 ～	The Japanese Association for Research on Activity Theory
2.	2019/04 ～	Japanese Educational Research Association
3.	2018/07 ～	The Society of Study on School Library Problems
4.	2017/09 ～	Japan Society of School Library Science
5.	2013/09 ～	Japan Society of Library and Information Science
Display All（9）

Qualification and license
1.	2000/03	certification of teacher librarian
2.	1999/10	certification of librarian
3.	1982/03	English Teacher’s License for Junior and Senior High School

Subject of research
1.	Societal Roles and Values of Libraries as Place
2.	Primordial Existential Values of School Libraries as Third Place

Research summary
A Study on “library as place” 　Since 1990’s, when the Internet was prevailing all over the world, a study on “library as place” has started mainly in American library society. At the beginning, it was advocated as a theoretical framework against the digital library. However, in the present digital information society, the critical, interdisciplinary and leading-edge theory of the study are more focused. 　On the basis of “library as place,” the “place” of the library, “space” in the library and “reading” are stressed in my research, and the purpose of my study is to elucidate these functions and roles empirically and critically by employing leading-edge theories in sociology, education and so on. 　For instance, school libraries as cultural place to stay safe and secured could be expected to have the power and possibilities more or less to rectify the educational, cultural and hope disparities of children, who have various rights and problems. My study proceeds to illustrate these functions of school libraries empirically through field-works, and to elucidate the power and possibilities of school libraries according to Dewey theory and activity theory.

Present specialized field
Education, Sociology of education, Library and information science, humanistic and social informatics (Keyword：Education, Sociology of Education, Library and Information Science)

Papers
1.	2011	School libraries as the "third place" │ 京都大学生涯教育学・図書館情報学研究 │ 10,pp.193-204
2.	2011	「第三の場」としての学校図書館 │ 京都大学生涯教育学・図書館情報学研究 │ 10,pp.193-204
3.	2010	“School Libraries as the Third Place” │ The Proceedings of the Fifth Shanghai International Library Forum │ ,pp.149-156

Academic conference presentation
1.	2011/08	Social Capital and School Libraries

Message
1.	Libraries are infrastructures of democratic society. The most previous popular image of libraries is a quiet place of learning and reading. However, in this coming digital information society, public libraries will be more activated as lively community places of meeting and communication. This function and role could lead the most important and traditional missions of public libraries which are infrastructures of democratic society and are expected to solve the individual and societal problems. Local public libraries are such valuable resources produced and developed by residents. I will be very glad if you could use and join your local public libraries.

E-Mail Address

Department laboratory expense researcher number
80635524

researchmap Researcher code
B000243440