IICLO update

Regular visitors to this site will know that IRSCL has been supporting the efforts of our Japanese colleagues who seek to persuade the Governor of Osaka Prefecture to abandon his plan of closing down the International Institute for Children’s Literature in Osaka, and to incorporate its collections into the Prefectural Central Library. Here is an update from Mikiko Mukogawa, IICLO Director:

We are still campaigning to prevent the closure of IICLO and it has not been decided yet.

In April the President of IRSCL sent the Governor of Osaka Prefecture a letter on behalf of IRSCL asking him to reconsider his decision. During the Osaka Prefecture regular assembly congress in October, the supporting organization for IICLO submitted “a petition for our continuance” to the chairman of Osaka Prefectural Congress via the assembly members of the four main parties, the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan, the Democratic Party of Japan, New Komeito and the Japanese Communist Party, together with the signatures of 20 other organizations. The assembly congress adopted the petition, so it was sent to the governor and the board of education. However, the Governor of Osaka Prefecture still plans to close IICLO by March 2010 and move only its materials (without staff) to Osaka Prefectural Central Library.

Although our institute is still in the midst of our difficulties, we will continue to discuss the situation with the governor into 2009 and with the help of supportive organizations continue to do our best. We will keep you informed regarding the future of IICLO.

Thank you again, for your great help and we hope to continue enjoying your support and to stay in contact in the future.

Faithfully yours,
MUKOGAWA, Mikiko