What you are looking for is in the library by Michiko Aoyama, translated by Alison Watts (Penguin Books)

People go to the library for all sorts of reasons. To work on a research paper, to borrow the latest CD or DVD, to read the latest issue of certain magazines, and of course to check out books to read for pleasure. But what if you can’t find what you’re looking for? What if you don’t know what it is that you’re looking for. To answer those last two questions, you could consult with the resident reference librarian. 

In Michiko Aoyama’s book What you are looking for is in the library is set in in a neighborhood community center called Hattori Community House. It is located next to an elementary school and offers an array of classes and holds a number of events - “shogi, haiku, hula dancing, exercise classes, lots of flower-arranging classes and lectures on different topics”. 

Each chapter introduces the reader to a character who all have one thing in common. They find themselves going to Hattori Community House in Hattori Ward for one reason or another. They will also have one more thing in common. They are all introduced to the resident reference librarian, Sayuri Komachi. 

We are first introduced to Tomoka, a twenty-one year old woman who works as a sales assistant in the womenswear section in a general merchandise store called Eden. She moved to Tokyo from the country. The only reason she’s working at Eden is because it was the only place that accepted her. It wasn’t so much that she wanted to live and work in Tokyo, she just doesn’t want to go back to the country. 

She decides to take a computer class at the Hattori Community House, a community center in the ward where she lives. After class, the instructor tells Tomoko that there are no set books for learning how to use different programs but gives her a list of recommended books to check out. The instructor tells her she might enjoy looking in the library.

Tomoko goes over to the sign that reads “Reference” and peaks around the corner and gets quite a shock! “The librarian is huge…I mean, like, really huge. But huge as in big, not fat. Her skin is super pale and you can’t even see where her chin ends and neck begins”. The librarian’s name is Sayuri Komachi.

We then meet Ryo, a thirty-five-year old accountant whose ambition is to run his own antiques shop. His girlfriend is Hina, she was one of the other students at the computer class who wants to open her own online store. We also meet Natsumi, a former magazine editor. She was a career woman who decided to have a child and thought she would be able to return to her former job and position only to find the reality was much different that what she imagined. 

We also meet Hiroya, a thirty-five-year old NEET (Not in Employment, Education, or Training). In other words, a slacker. And finally there is Masao, a sixty-five year old retired gentleman who doesn’t know what to do with his life now that he has more time on his hands. 

All of these people find their calling at the library with the help of Ms. Komachi. However, Ms. Komachi never takes credit for their successes or happiness. Ms. Komachi seems to have some innate sense of what the people need and she often recommends books that do not seem to have any relation to the reader’s search.  

Libraries and bookstores are two places that I can spend hours in and never get bored. I don’t even have to be looking for anything in particular. Of course the big difference is you can borrow books for free at the library but if you find a title you want to read at the bookstore, you must buy it. 

I think it would be great if there were more people like Ms Komachi. She doesn’t judge anyone, she listens, then she hands the person a list of books that she believes might help them, even if some titles seem totally unrelated to what the person was searching for. 

If you’re an avid reader and love bookstores and libraries, this book will not disappoint. It will make you want to visit your local library at your earliest convenience. You may not find what you’re looking for but perhaps there will be a librarian like Ms. Komachi to guide you to some other worthwhile titles. ~Ernie Hoyt