Readers with an interest in Japanese history, life, and culture are invited to check out the new “Read Japan” collection recently donated to Dalton State’s Roberts Library by the Nippon Foundation.
According to Roberts Library Director Lydia Knight, the collection includes 100 academic and university press books selected by a committee of Japanese and foreign scholars and journalists. The collection covers topics ranging from anime to samurai, Knight said. Volumes are sorted into five categories including politics and international relations, economy and business, society and culture, literature and arts, and history.
In our global society where information can be readily accessed with a single click, it can be easy to forget to place news and information into a cultural context.
“It is now possible to exchange vast volumes of information through cyberspace in real time,” said a representative of the Nippon Foundation. “This unprecedented access to information has made the realities of foreign countries feel much closer to us. However, we do not always receive a complete picture of life overseas.”
“An understanding of other people is essential if we are to collaborate and coexist with people of different cultures and customs,” he said. “We hope this will serve as a useful guide to those interested in deepening their understanding of present day Japan.”
“We are so grateful to have this donation,” Knight said. “During this period of limited resources, these gifts are greatly appreciated. This collection of Japan related books will enrich our collection and expose our students to another culture and society.”
The collection of 100 books on contemporary Japan brings to nearly 135,700 volumes maintained in Roberts Library. In addition, the library maintains more than 200 periodical subscriptions, nearly 168,000 e-books and more than 10,000 media items.
Roberts Library is a community resource; any adult in the northwest Georgia region is welcome to check out materials from Roberts Library.