Kyoto Prefectural Library and Archives Kyōto-shi, Japan

The Kyoto Prefectural Library and Archives (京都府立総合資料館) founded in 1963, has collections related to the history and culture of Kyoto.

Kyoto has inherited a wealth of traditional craftsmanship from its era as the nation’s capital, which lasted until early modern times. Today Kyoto’s traditional industries, nurtured by the city’s historical legacies and locally-developed culture, remain a rich source of inspiration for our daily lives. Kyoto Prefecture regards its traditional local industries as valuable assets that support Japan’s tradition and culture. To conserve them for future generations and to encourage them to develop in a way that is complementary to contemporary lifestyles, the prefecture is conducting a range of programs under a prefectural ordinance designed to promote traditional manufacturing and cultural industries.

History:
1873: Opened as Shushoin Library
1898: Opened as the Kyoto Prefectural Library in Kyoto-gyoen
1909: Opened as the Kyoto Prefectural Library in Okazaki, Kyoto
1963: Many books transferred to the Kyoto Prefectural Library and Archives
1995: The main building suffered serious damage in the Great Hanshin earthquake
2001: Opened as a new building

Branch libraries:
1949: Kawaramachi Branch Library opened (Closed May 1976)
1950: Fushimi Branch Library opened. (Closed March 1988)
1950: Miyazu Region Branch Library opened. (Closed March 1997)
1950: Ayabe Region Branch Library opened. (Closed September 1966)
1950: Mineyama Region Branch Library opened. (Closed March 1997)
1951: Kamigyo Branch Library opened. (Closed May 1976)
1952: Sonobe Region Branch Library opened. (Closed November 1966)
1952: Kitakuwata Region Branch Library opened. (Closed March 1980)
1952: Kizu Region Branch Library opened. (Closed March 1975)
1957: Nakagyo Branch Library opened by taking over administration of Kawaramachi Branch Library. (Closed March 2001)