Book Ideas opening on Saturday, April 30

Please join us at the next Book Ideas opening this coming Saturday, April 30! We will be open from 10am to 5pm as usual.

Book Ideas opening on Sunday, April 24

Thanks to everyone who came to see the very talented Lily and her "springtime storytelling" session last Saturday, April 16. Kids and adults alike enjoyed listening to her read aloud!

Please join us at the next Book Ideas opening this coming Sunday, April 24. We will be open from 10am to 5pm as usual. 

Introducing our "Mission Statement"

We've created a mission statement to describe our identity as "Book Ideas", to summarize the services we offer, and to clarify our goals and intentions. 

Please read on...and feel free to share!

Image via Shutterstock

In all of the countries my family has lived in and traveled to, we've collected books. 

After settling in Fuchu, Japan in 2004, my daughter and I held our first Book Ideas event in the Momijigaoka Bunka Center in August 2006 as a way to share our books with the public. Since July 2015, Book Ideas has a permanent home at Momijigaoka 1-38-9. 

It can be difficult to answer the question, “what is Book Ideas?” That’s because Book Ideas “is” many different things. Here are just a few examples: 

A library with nearly 3,000 books spanning a wide variety of genres 
- A place in which to relax and read 
- A place to discuss books and discover new titles 
- A place to attend book talks 
- A place to check out items 

An event space where we organize and host an unusual lineup of activities
- Including presentations on topics ranging from “South Sudan” to “Childhood in the GDR”, seasonal celebrations such as Easter egg painting and Halloween pumpkin carving, activities and crafts, offbeat events and events specially intended for target audiences, such as children’s sessions. 

A place for socializing, meeting new people, and catching up with friends!

Springtime storytelling on Saturday, April 16

Thank you to everyone who attended Vera Markert's interesting and important talk about feminism, women, and the Catholic Church last Saturday, April 9!

Next weekend on Saturday, April 16 we are welcoming Lily to Book Ideas for 

"Spring Tales"

A storytelling session at 3pm

Illustration by Arnold Lobel

We will be open from 10am to 5pm as usual

"Women in the Catholic Church": presentation on Saturday, April 9

Join us at Book Ideas this Saturday, April 9 at 3pm for a presentation! 

Special guest Vera Markert will give a talk about

"Women in the Catholic Church"

We will be open from 10am to 5pm as usual

Book Ideas Opening on Saturday, April 2

Come by to chat and browse, drink a cup of coffee, or admire the spring bloom! 

We will be open from 10am to 5pm as usual

Next Book Ideas Openings: April-August 2016

Please see below for our complete schedule of openings and events in spring/summer 2016!

"Spring Books" by Rebecca Cobb

Saturday, April 2 

Saturday, April 9 

“Women in the Catholic Church”: 

a talk by Vera Markert at 3pm 

Saturday, April 16 

“Spring Tales”: storytelling with Lily at 3pm 

Sunday, April 24 

Saturday, April 30 

Sunday, May 8 

Saturday, May 28 

"Childhood in the GDR": 
a talk about growing up in former East Germany 

by Reiner Büter at 3pm 

Book Ideas will be closed for summer vacation from the end of May until mid-August

4月: 2日 (土), 9日 (土) 16日 (土), 24日 (日), 30日 (土) 

5月: 8日 (日), 28日 (土) 午前10時から午後5時まで

Easter Egg Painting on Sunday, March 27

Join us at 3pm this coming Sunday for our annual Easter egg painting event. 

Eggs will be provided. Anyone can come to paint, decorate, and dye!

We will be open from 3pm until late

Updated Checkout Procedure

We have recently updated our checkout procedure. Read on for information about how long you can keep books, where and how to return them, and what to do if your items are overdue! 

The "Checkout Procedure" will also be permanently accessible on the blog under the "Important Pages" column on the bottom right-hand side of the screen.

Checkout Procedure - 本等を借りる手順の説明 

As of January 16, 2016, Book Ideas has around 2,777 titles available for checkout. 

ブックアイディアは2016年1月現在、約2,777冊の本やDVDを貸し出しのために用意しています

At first checkout you must register in our sign-up book. This serves two purposes: with your permission you are added to our mailing list, enabling me to send you announcements about our opening dates. Secondly, I can contact you in case a book is not returned.

最初に本などお借りになるときには、皆さんのお名前、住所、連絡先を登録いたします。この登録は、借り出された本の返却などに関してご連絡先をいただくこと、また、皆様のご任意となりますが、ブックアイディアの開催日などの情報をお送りするためのメイリングリストへの加入も兼ねております。 

As of the 8th Annual General Meeting on February 27, 2016, the following changes are in effect. 

• Materials may be borrowed for up to six months
• If the item has not been returned after this time, users must contact Birgit by phone or email! 
• Users are asked to return the materials to Book Ideas on an opening day OR 
• to the return box on the veranda at the side of house at any time OR
• to Birgit’s apartment, either in the mailbox or at the door

Thank you!
今後ともご愛顧よろしくお願いします。

"Mottainai" with Book Ideas

On Sunday, March 20 we held our very first Recycle Event!

We are glad that many well-loved, secondhand items and books found new homes.

Please keep checking the blog for updates on the date of our next Recycle Event.

Next Book Ideas Openings: March and April, 2016

We are starting the spring with a series of special events and presentations!

Please join us on the following dates:

Sunday, March 20

Special Spring Recycle Event

*All day, rain or shine

Sunday, March 27

Easter egg painting at 3pm

*Open from 3pm until late

Saturday, April 2

Saturday, April 9

“Women in the Catholic Church”: 
a talk by Vera Markert at 3pm 

Saturday, April 16

“Spring Tales”: storytelling with Lily at 3pm

3月: rain or shine 20日(日), 27日(日)

4月: 2日 (土), 9日 (土) 16日 (土),

午前１０時から午後5時まで

Minutes of 8th Annual General Meeting on February 27, 2016

Thank you for supporting us during yet another year of Book Ideas! And thank you to everyone who attended the 8th Annual General Meeting and/or provided us with feedback about our service. Please read on for a summary of our discussion at the meeting. 

The Minutes will also be permanently accessible on the blog under the "Important Pages" column on the bottom right-hand side of the screen. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Minutes of the 8th Book Ideas Annual General Meeting February 27, 2016


Report on the last 3.5 years of operation
Last meeting on 8/25/12 

Present: 6 members, 3 users, 1 visitor 

- Contrary to past years, neither agenda nor “Suggestions for Feedback” form sent out 
- A questionnaire hand-delivered to 14 and sent by mail to 3 members, emailed to all users, and posted on bookideasfuchu.blogspot.com. 16 filled-out questionnaires received 
- All members, users and presenters thanked for supporting Book Ideas, displaying and handing out our flyers, sharing snacks and helping in various other ways. Particular thanks to: Masako Kikuchi for always being there, making newcomers feel welcome, explaining Book Ideas in Japanese, and spreading the word among her many contacts; Mine Serizawa for maintaining our blog and brainstorming about the new Book Ideas; Hiroko Maekawa for “Otsuchi: Before & After”, Dorna for “Inner Mongolia”, Masako Kikuchi for “On a Recent Trip to Israel”, Yumi Sakamoto for “Tonga”, Ros Lam for “Australia”, Becky Kikuchi for “Halloween Stories”, and Toshi Serizawa for “South Sudan” 

Opening dates and times; venue

- Open a total of 108 times since Book Ideas started on August 19, 2006 
- Open only 12 times between August 25, 2012 and July 11, 2015, mostly on Saturdays from 10am to 5pm 
- Already open 26 times since opening at the new location on July 11, 2015 
- Usually held at Momijigaoka Bunka Center and occasionally in our apartment or community room of the apartment building at Momijigaoka 2-8-13. Since July 2016 held in the new rented space 
- Room at the Bunka Center a good choice because of size and location next to library (incidental visitors) 
- At new place hardly any set-up, no pressure to close on time, more library items. However, so far hardly any incidental visitors 

Visitors; books checked out 

- Bunka Center: visitors/opening, 20-40; items checked out, 13-42 by 5-13 people; incidental visitors: many 
- New place: visitors/opening, 2-12; items checked out, 2-17 by 2-8 people; incidental visitors: very few 
- No limit to number of items that can be checked out. Usually people return items on time but there are 13 books checked out since 2007-2009 that are presumably lost. Another 10 books are overdue; individual reminder mails have been sent out 
- English children's books still the most popular items Members/users; mailing list; blog 
- 17 members since 2011: 11 Japanese, 6 foreigners; 14 Fuchu residents, 1 from Saitama, 1 from Chofu, 1 from Koganei 
- Definition of “user”: anyone entering name and contact details in sign-up book when checking out an item for the first time. Only one person per family is asked to register 
- Currently 242 users. 3 asked to be removed and several have been removed by me. 
- Contacts deleted when email bounces back 3 times and no change of address is received
- Some visitors come once to explore, others come for a chat or only to borrow items. Some appreciate advice on books, especially regarding difficulty and level of English 
- Flyers cannot be attached to messages sent to cell phones. A blog was created in 2007 as an alternative resource to check for updates 
- Book titles can be searched via link on the blog 
- Interest in blog remains low 

Book Exchange 

- Success in first year, but discontinued because items remained at closing time Lending by sending 
- Implemented in 2012, this service enables users to receive books by mail and pay for postage on delivery 
- Only one person in Kanagawa used this service 
- It has not been advertised since then 

Summary of filled-out questionnaires 

Advertising 
- Most people are informed about Book Ideas through email 
- Most respondents prefer to receive mail once a month 
- Blog not widely accessed 
- No clear preference for Japanese translations of information

Attendance 
- Most people come more than once or visit regularly 
- Wide range of answers for how many times people would visit if Book Ideas were open more often 
- Most popular days: Saturday and Sunday 
- Most popular time of day: afternoon. Morning, lunchtime, evening chosen as well

Activities/additional services 
- Large majority enjoys presentations 
- Majority prefers presentations in English. Some prefer presentations in Japanese 
- Half of respondents for regularly-held recycle sales, half against 
- Slight majority for regular book exchanges 
- Majority interested in renting apartment and/or garden for personal events 
- Majority favors additional services: “baking” favorite, followed by “arts & crafts” and “presentations”. All other services also mentioned at least once 

Physical space; book collections 
- Nearly half of respondents would prefer to separate library space from socializing space 
- Top pick for kind of books to add to library: books from/about other countries 

Ideas for additional activities 
- Presentations: “Female Professionals in the Catholic Church”, “Growing up in Former East Germany”, “Kyrgyzstan”, “Faeroe Island”, “Growing up in Moscow” - Celebrations: Easter (egg painting), 4th of July (BBQ), Halloween (story reading/telling, pumpkin carving), Thanksgiving (sharing meal), Advent (Advent wreath, Santa Claus, St. Lucia, Christmas (ornaments), Carnival 
- Children’s sessions: reading aloud, acting out stories with handmade stick figures/puppets
- Blog: “Book tips” by Book Ideas users 
- Recycle event 
- Book Exchange 
- “Pop-up store”: offering retail space to external vendors? 
- Newsletter: News about various services in neighborhood 

Open discussion 

Who should be our target audience? 
- People from the neighborhood 
- People from anywhere interested in presentations, celebrations, specific books 
- Specific groups, e.g. AFWJ members, children 

How to encourage attendance of young(er) parents and children? 
- Separate children's and adults’ time 

How to encourage more users and new visitors to attend? 
- Presentations that catch people's attention 
- Organize events for target audience 
- Occasionally use the Bunka Center 

Conflicting objectives 
- Should we maintain current atmosphere and relationships (community feeling) or expand pool of users? 

Contact other community organizations 
- e.g. Sumire kai, represented by Shiba-san

Openings & Events at Book Ideas, February-March 2016

Book Ideas will be open on:   

Saturday, February 27 with Annual General Meeting at 3pm 
Sunday, March 6 
Saturday, March 12 

Please note this change in our schedule!

Saturday, March 19 with Recycle Event from 10am-5pm 
OR Sunday, March 20 in case of rain   

2月: 27日 (土) 
3月:  6日 (日), 12日 (土) 

Change! 19日 (土), 午前１０時から午後5時までOR 20日 (日) in case of rain 

* Upcoming special events *

- Annual General Meeting on Saturday, February 27 at 3pm. Everyone is invited to attend. Hear about our plans for the future and give us your input! 

- Recycle Sale on Saturday, March 19 from 10am-5pm OR Sunday, March 20 in case of rain

- Annual flea market at the Tokyo Union Church in Omotesando. A must for lovers of books and clothing. http://www.tokyounion.org/wf-market 

Thursday, March 10, 4pm-6pm
Friday, March 11, 10am-5pm 
Saturday, March 12, 10am-12pm

Annual General Meeting & Questionnaire

We are always trying to offer you a better service!

Please help us do so by filling out a questionnaire about your experiences at Book Ideas. 

You can copy the questionnaire below and send us your reply by email to book_ideas@hotmail.com

We will then prepare a summary of your comments and discuss it at our upcoming Annual General Meeting on Saturday, February 27 at 3pm. 

Please also feel free to join us at the meeting. We are open to any new ideas and appreciate any help in making Book Ideas more useful and relevant. 

Thank you very much for your time and input!
______________________________________________

Questionnaire - 質問票

Please help us make Book Ideas a better service! Put an “x” next to your answers below. You can mark more than one answer to some questions! You may also write longer responses to any of the questions.
ブックアイディアのサービス向上のために、ご協力ください！　以下の質問に対して、該当する回答がありましたら「ｘ」の印を付けて回答してください。一つの質問に対して複数の回答をすることも可能です。また、それぞれの質問に関して、提案やお考えなどありましたら記入お願いいたします。

Publicity/advertisement - 広報と宣伝 

How do you know about our opening days/times?
どのようにしてブックアイディアの開催日を知りましたか？
__ Email 電子メイル                      __ Flyers 広告チラシ　
__ Blog ブログ　                           __ Word of mouth 口コミ・人づて   
__ Asahi Newspaper 朝日新聞
 　　　　　　
Do you find our blog useful?
ブックアイディアのブログは情報源として有用ですか？
__ Yes はい      __ No いいえ

Should there be more information on our blog?
If “yes”, what kind?
ブックアイディアのブログにもっと情報があった方がよいですか？
もしそうであればどのような情報ですか？ 
__ Yes :
はい（もしあった方がよい情報がありましたら記入してください）:
__ No いいえ

Would Japanese translations of flyers and blog posts be useful to you? 
広告チラシやブックアイディアのブログに日本語の翻訳があった方がよいですか？
__ Yes はい     __ No いいえ

How often would you like to receive email reminders about Book Ideas openings?
ブックアイディアの開催に関する電子メールの情報をどのぐらいの頻度で受け取りたいです
__ Once a week 1週間に１度      __ Once a month １ヶ月に１度
__ Other: 
その他　（ご希望を記入ください）:

Attendance - ブックアイディアへの参加 

About how many times did you visit Book Ideas last year? 
昨年ブックアイディアに何回ぐらい参加されたでしょうか？

About how many times would you visit Book Ideas if we were open more often?
 もしブックアイディアの開催頻度が増えた場合、どのぐらいの頻度でブックアイディアに参加したいでしょうか？

What day/s of the week would you prefer to visit?
ブックアイディアの開催曜日はどれが最もよいと思われますか？
__ Monday 月曜日      __ Tuesday火曜日      __ Wednesday 水曜日
__ Thursday  木曜日   __ Friday 金曜日         __ Saturday 土曜日        
__ Sunday 日曜日

What time/s of the day would you prefer to visit? 
ブックアイディアの開催時間帯はどれが最もよいと思われますか？ 
__ Morning 朝・午前           __ Lunchtime 昼 　
__ Afternoon 午後・夕方　 __ Evening 夜
　　　　　　　　　　　　
Activities at Book Ideas - ブックアイディアの活動 

Do you enjoy attending presentations?
ブックアイディアの企画するプレゼンテーションに参加すること
は楽しいですか？
__ Yes はい      __ No いいえ 

In what language/s would you like to hear presentations?
どの言語でプレゼンテーションを聞きたいですか？
__ English 英語      __ Japanese日本語
__ Other: 
その他の言語（ご希望を記入ください）: 

Are you interested in regular recycle sales?
あなたは古物市・ガレージセールを定期的に開催することに関心
がありますか？
__ Yes はい       __ No いいえ 

Are you interested in regular book exchanges?
本の交換会を定期的に開催することに関心がありますか？
__ Yes はい       __ No いいえ

Are you interested in renting the apartment and/or garden of Book Ideas (for teaching, parties, or other events)?
 あなたが教育、パーティ、その他のイベントを実施するためにブックアイディアの開催場所であるアパートや庭を借りることに関心がありますか。
 __ Yes はい      __ No いいえ 

Would you like Book Ideas to offer other services? 
If “yes”, which services?
ブックアイディアが現在提供するサービス以外に、他のサービスを提供してもらいたいと思いますか？　もし回答が「はい」でしたら、どのようなサービスを期待されるか、希望がありましたらお答えください。
__ Yes はい:
__ Children’s sessions 子供向きのセッション 
__ Arts and crafts アートとクラフト
__ Game time ゲーム     
__ Book presentations 本の紹介　　
__ Baking パンや菓子のベーキング 
__ Presentations on seasonal festivals 季節折々のフェスティバルの紹介 
__ Other: 
         その他　（ご希望を記入ください）:
__ No いいえ

Physical space and set-up - ブックアイディアのレイアウトと蔵書について 

Would you prefer the “library space” to be separate from the “socializing space”? 
ブックアイディアの間取りで「図書・読書スペース」と「親睦スペース」を分けて設置した方がよいですか？
__ Yes はい       __ No いいえ

If we add more books to the collection, what kind of books would you be most interested to check out? 
どの分野の本を増やしてもらえれば、本を借りる頻度がより高まるとお思いでしょうか？
__ English adult fiction 英語のフィクション 
__ Nature books 自然環境分野の本
__ Books from/about other countries 外国の本や外国の事情に関する本
__ Education 教育分野の本  　
__ Psychology 心理学分野の本             
__ Books in German ドイツ語の本 
__ Other:
     その他　（ご希望を記入ください）

Thank you!

Next Book Ideas Openings: January 31 - March 20, 2016

2016 has already gotten off to an exciting start...

Share your first impressions of the new year at our next openings on:

Sunday, January 3
Saturday, February 6

Sunday, February 14

Saturday, February 20

Saturday, February 27 
with Annual General Meeting at 3pm

Sunday, March 6

Saturday, March 12

Sunday, March 20 
with Recycle Sale

1月:  31日 (日)

2月:: 6日 (土), 14日 (日), 20日 (土), 27日 (土)

3月:  6日 (日), 12日 (土), 20日 (日),午前１０時から午後5時まで

New Treasures

We have added over 100 titles to the collection since our last official book list update. There are now 2,777 books, magazines, games, DVDs and more available for checkout!

The list is organized alphabetically by author and by category. We have also added several new categories, including:

- Disability

- Fairytales and Folklore

- Non-fiction

- Poetry

- Religion, Spirituality, Philosophy

Please click on the link called "Updated January 16, 2016" under "Complete Book List" on the right-hand side of the screen to browse the collection. We will be updating the list regularly.

Book Ideas Openings in 2016

Happy New Year! 

Thank you for your support and friendship in the year 2015.  

Now that our winter break is over, we will be open as usual from 10am to 5pm on weekends, alternating between Saturdays and Sundays.

Our next openings are on:

Saturday, January 9, 2016
Sunday, January 17, 2016
Saturday, January 23, 2016

1月:  9日 (土), 17日 (日), 23日 (土), 午前１０時から午後5時まで

Please note the special events planned for the winter/early spring:

Annual General Meeting: tentatively scheduled for Saturday, February 24 at 3pm

Recycle Sale with books and more!