Libraries of the Affiliated Schools
Keio University's Integrated Education: Diversity in Unity
Libraries of the Affiliated Schools
(Posted April 2025)
Keio Academy of New York—Book Clubs—
When I was appointed Head of School, the library had been closed for a long time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to strong requests from students, I decided to reopen the library and undertake a fundamental reform and restructuring. The interior was also extensively renovated, with the addition of three-dimensional bookshelves and sofa sets in Keio colors. In particular, an innovative mural portrait of Yukichi Fukuzawa, created through the collaborative efforts of students led by Kanna Iida, currently a 12th grader, has become the Academy's new photo spot.
On the bookshelves, in addition to the "Yukichi Fukuzawa Bookshelf," the "Head of School's Bookshelf," and the "Triculture (Japanese-American-Keio) Bookshelf," a "Hayakawa Publishing Bookshelf" was also set up to commemorate a large donation. Librarian Megumi Kawashima also launched a monthly newsletter featuring book recommendations for students and contributed an article introducing the library to a local newspaper. Thus, the new library, under the concept of a "Learning Commons," has established itself as a place for students to read, study independently, and engage in friendly conversation and discussion.
Particularly noteworthy is the launch of several book clubs, which are held in the library.
Since my appointment, at the students' request, I myself have been covering authors from my specialty of English and American literature, such as Hawthorne, Melville, Salinger, as well as Kazuo Ishiguro and David Henry Hwang, reading their works in the original language. Meanwhile, Japanese language teacher Yuki Fujita not only reads works by authors like Ryunosuke Akutagawa, Masao Yamakawa, and Nobel laureates Yasunari Kawabata and Kenzaburo Oe, but also holds Bibliobattles. The recently revived Yukichi Fukuzawa Study Group, with Japanese language teacher Nozomi Yoshinaka as its advisor, is also not to be missed. A glimpse of these activities can be seen in the *Keio Research Review*, the Academy's journal, which was first published three years ago. (Takayuki Tatsumi, Professor Emeritus, Keio University / Head of Keio Academy of New York)