Bridging Tradition and Innovation: Teen Services through the Lens of HOMAGO in Yokohama’s Central Library

Tetsumi, Saki; Momodori, Naoki; Sugeno, Yuki; Igarashi, Tomoya; Takashima, Waka; Koizumi, Masanori

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Description

Title

Bridging Tradition and Innovation: Teen Services through the Lens of HOMAGO in Yokohama’s Central Library

Author(s)

• Tetsumi, Saki
• Momodori, Naoki
• Sugeno, Yuki
• Igarashi, Tomoya
• Takashima, Waka
• Koizumi, Masanori

Issue Date

2024-03-20

Keyword(s)

• Public Libraries
• Teen Services
• HOMAG
• Observational Survey
• Yokohama City Central Public Library
• Japan

Abstract

In recent years, the “Young Adult Service,” which underpins the concept of “HOMAGO” proposed by Ito et al. (2009), has gained traction in public libraries, especially in Europe and the United States. In Japan, services that offer experiences with digital media are beginning to be introduced, drawing inspiration from Europe and the United States. Hence, this study seeks to clarify the usage patterns of teenagers at the Yokohama City Central Public Library. In this research, we conducted an observational survey focusing on the usage by teenagers on both the ground and basement floors of the Yokohama City Central Public Library, situated in one of the largest cities in Japan and which has recently undergone renovation. The study took place from the 22nd to the 24th of August and operated daily from 9:30 to 17:00. We examined variables such as the number of user groups, seating occupancy, resources utilised, and the nature of activities undertaken. Our findings indicate that Japanese teenagers predominantly use libraries for personal study but also engage in social chats using smartphones with their peers. These observations suggest that while Japanese teenagers primarily utilise the library for individual study, in group settings they engage in intimate in-teractions, often accompanied by reading or smartphone usage. This highlights a distinct “HOMAGO” (Hanging Out, Messing Around, Geeking Out) behaviour within libraries, emblematic of Japanese youth.

Publisher

iSchools

Series/Report Name or Number

iConference 2024 Proceedings

Type of Resource

Other

Language

eng

Handle URL

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/122833

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2024 is held by Saki Tetsumi, Naoki Momodori, Yuki Sugeno, Tomoya Igarashi, Waka Takashima, and Masanori Koizumi. Copyright permissions, when appropriate, must be obtained directly from the authors.

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