図書館の倫理的価値としての「知る自由」と法学的「知る権利」

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between the freedom to know as the ethical value of libraries and the right to know as a legal term by focusing on the historical development of both concepts. In the Statement on Intellectual Freedom in Libraries (approved 1954, revised 1979), the Japan Library Association (JLA) states that the most important responsibility of libraries is to offer collected materials and facilities to people who have the freedom to know as one of their fundamental human rights. JLA introduced the legal logic of the right to know into the Statement, and both concepts have the same nature. However, the purpose of each concept is different. In the argument on the right to know, journalists and legal scholars emphasize freedom of the press or access to government information. On the other hand, librarians intended to guarantee the free flow of information and access to general information.