After the Former Prefectural Akita Library
Continuing from the previous article, this is the story of the former Prefectural Akita Library, which was built in 1918.
In the previous article, I mentioned that I also found a photo showing the shape of the front of the building.
Here it is. This is a quotation from the “History of Akita Prefectural Akita Library, 1961 Edition".
We can clearly see the shape of the front window. It can be confirmed that there were entrances on both sides and that the window above it is a circular window.
However, there is a great sense of discomfort. As it makes me wonder if this is really the same building as the library in the previous article.
I have enlarged a portion of the photo previously posted. This photo was taken in the “Akita City Guide" (1925).
As indicated by the arrows, the dormers (window with a roof) on the roof, and the parapet around the roof (is that the right name?) are gone.
The color of the window frames also seems to have changed. In the Taisho era photo, the window frames appear brighter. I wonder what happened to it.
To begin with, the year the first photo was taken is unknown.
In 1961, the building still existed, I guess that it was taken in the 1950s, but I cannot be certain.
Let’s check the “History of Akita Prefectural Akita Library, 1961 Edition".
The library was completed in 1918 and opened in June of the following year.
In 1930, there was a complaint that there were not enough bookcases. It is said that new shelves were built between the ceiling and the stacks to cope with the problem.
In the 1931 section of the chronological table, I found an entry stating that “major repairs were carried out from last year to the end of this year. The roof of the stacks was damaged and leaking, and the roof of the main building was also repaired".
Did they remove the dormers during these repairs? The text does not mention it, so I do not know any more than this.
I will look a little further.
In May 1939, the Oga earthquake occurred. It registered an intensity of 5 on the Japanese seismic scale in Akita City, and cracks appeared in the library’s stacks.
In 1952, a petition was submitted to the prefectural government regarding expansion of the library site. They said that the stacks were full, with shelves placed in the aisles and books overflowing outside the stacks.
Renovations were made that year as well. The exterior walls were painted, the circulation desk was expanded, and the floor was refinished.
In 1955, the library’s east and west walls were found to be delaminated and members were rotting. The walls were repaired, and beams and pillars were added to the interior for reinforcement.
In February 1960, a petition was submitted to the prefectural government by the Akita Library Council regarding the library renovation.
The reasons were,
(1) The building was aging, making it impossible to ensure the safety of patrons. And the library is not able to maintain an appropriate storage environment for books.
(2) There is no place to store books due to lack of space. The reading rooms are also too small.
(3) Deterioration of the surrounding environment. Traffic on the road next to the library has increased, making it impossible to maintain a quiet environment.
The above three points were cited.
In July of the same year, the prefectural assembly officially decided to construct a prefectural citizens’ hall and library, and in August, bids for the construction work were submitted. Demolition of the Prefectural Memorial Hall and Children’s Hall, which stood on the proposed construction site (south of Senshu Park), also began.
This book was published in 1961, so the description ends here.
The only specific mention of “the roof was repaired" is in reference to major repairs in 1931, so I would assume that major changes were made at that time, but that is just an estimate.
If major work was done in 1931, I looked through the “Akita Prefectural Akita Library Guide" published in 1934, expecting to find an entry. However, there was no record of repairs here.
In any case, a new library was completed in 1961 and opened in November, so this library built in the Taisho era had served its purpose.
Finally, here is a photo of the (former) library as seen in an aerial photograph from 1962.
It was moved to the new library in 1961, so I assume it was vacant when the photo was taken.
I was looking at the photo with the intention of making a pop-up card and was curious about it, so I wrote this article.
I will be able to post photos of the pop-up card in my next article…I hope so.
[Reference]
“Akita Prefectural Akita Library Guide" (Akita Prefectural Akita Library/1934)
“History of Akita Prefectural Akita Library, 1961" (Akita Prefectural Akita Library/1961)
[Related articles]
“Pop-up card : former Akita Prefectural Akita Library" (2024.07.05)
“Opening of the Prefectural Akita Library (second generation)" (2024.06.30)