Research projects

We focused on a physical survey of Western account books in the Meiji era and Western rare books with traces of restoration in the 1950s by the bookbinders who acquired the Western technology in the Meiji era. At the same time, we amassed information by interviews from technical experts, conducted a philological survey and reexamined the history of Western bookbindings. As regards to account books, the technology derived from the West was transformed by repeated trial and error due to the rapid increase in demand and private-sector makers, and finally it has attained the styles peculiar to Japan. In addition, from the physical survey on the traces of the restoration in the Western rare books, it was confirmed that the technology and knowledge since the Meiji era were basically passed down. In terms of conservation of materials, it was revealed that there was already an idea in the 1950s which was the source of the existing idea of the “preserving original style”.

This study was a collection and analysis of the basic data for the actual conduction of library preservation in Japan through a door-to-door and a national questionnaire survey conducted with libraries, a interview surveys for conservators and similar professionals and a comparative investigation of foreign libraries. As a result, we were able to quantitatively express the actual conditions of library preservation in Japan. For example, preservation and conservation of libraries in Japan is post-procedural and symptomatic treatments rather than planned and active measures. Most disasters are related to water leakage and so on.

In this project research, we analyzed current status of microfilm in Japan as recording media. We researched it from various accepts -productions, publications, conservations, use and preservation. In spite of having a long history as recording media second only to paper, microfilm had never before been studied from academic points of view. In carrying out this project, we made an interview survey of libraries, museums, archives etc. (total:33), and a questionnaire survey (university librariy:1,378, prefectural library:58, National Diet Library:1, archives:75, university archives:88, special library:380). Based on these surveys, we carried out this research project.

本年度は主として課題①「初期印刷文化における聖書の形態的特徴の変遷の分析」に取り組み、基礎的なデータの収集を行った。まず、調査対象となるラテン語をはじめとする各言語による聖書の版を特定するために、15世紀の印刷本（インキュナブラ）の国際総合目録であるIncunabula Short Title Catalogue (ISTC)および16世紀についてはUniversal Short Title Catalogue (USTC)から調査対象を抽出し、各版についての書誌的事項や判型などの基礎的な情報を記録した。次に、個別の現存本についての書誌や目録を調査し、折丁の構成、ページの段組み、行数、使用されている活字の種類など可能な限り詳細に記録した。合わせて、デジタルアーカイブ等による画像の公開状況や複写画像の入手可能性についても調査し、可能な場合には複写依頼によるデジタル画像を入手した。画像の入手は次年度も引き続き行い、パラテクストの詳細な調査に用いる。 また、慶應義塾大学図書館が所蔵するインキュナブラを対象に、インキュナブラ全般の形態的特徴を、ページ・レイアウトや書体、文章構造の視覚的な提示方法、木版印刷による図版やその彩色、手書きの装飾、読者による書き込みなどの使用の形跡といった点から分析した。3月にはBritish Libraryの元インキュナブラ担当者を招き、小規模なワークショップを開催し、インキュナブラの調査方法や調査項目についてさらに検討した。 さらに、パラテクスト面での「あるべき姿」を支える技術としての活字の鋳造方法や活字の形態分析方法に関する分析をグーテンベルク聖書を事例として進めた。