1. Introduction
In response to the growing demand for training programs for library staff both inside and outside Japan, the National Diet Library (NDL) decided in April 2002, when the whole of its departments and divisions were reorganized in conjunction with the construction of the Kansai-kan, to carry out such training as one of the most important library cooperation activities. Under that decision, the Training and Exchange Section established in the Library Support Division, Project Department of the Kansai-kan, plans and manages training programs.

In consequence, training programs provided by the NDL for non-NDL library staff have expanded. Up to FY2001*, Preservation and Conservation Training Program, Interlibrary Cooperation Seminar, Training Program for Japanese Studies Librarians and Lectures on Library Information Science were the only training opportunities of that kind, but they now include programs delivering information on materials unique to the NDL (rare and old materials, statutes and parliamentary documents, official publication, newspaper, maps, etc.), techniques accumulated in the NDL (reference service, cataloging, etc.), and issues of current concern to libraries -- digital library projects, for instance. 

* Lectures on Library Information Science were held by the former Institute of Library and Information Science, Library Cooperation Department from FY1987 to FY 2000. These lectures were originally intended for NDL staff, but some of them between FY1995 and FY2000 were open to staff of other libraries in Japan as Open Lectures on Library Information Science. Interlibrary Cooperation Seminar which was also open to library staff in Japan was held by the former Domestic Cooperation Division, Library Cooperation Department from FY1986 to FY2000. Training Program for Japanese Studies Librarian (before FY1998, named Training Program for Senior Japanese Studies Librarian) was held from FY1996 to FY2000. This program changed its name and has continued as Training Program for Information Specialists for Japanese Studies.
 

2. Planning training programs
In planning the training programs, first we choose the theme taking recent library trends and demands from libraries into consideration, and then draw up the curriculums based on the opinions from the NDL staff concerned with the chosen themes and also library and information science specialists outside the NDL. 

Training programs consist of workshops and practical exercises as well as lectures when necessary. We accept a fairly small number of trainees (about twenty) for each program, as it consists of workshops or exercises and we wish to make the program as effective as possible. 

Most lecturers are NDL staff chosen from the division responsible for the materials and work related to the theme of the program. For the latest topics and theories, however, we invite specialists from outside institutions.

In choosing the themes of training programs for FY2003, we also referred to the results of the questionnaire survey for public libraries and their staff* conducted by the former Institute of Library and Information Science, Library Cooperation Department, in 1999.

*The result of the questionnaire survey was published as "Todofukenritsu oyobi seirei shitei toshiritsu toshokan ni okeru kenshu no nizu to jittai" (Survey on the needs for and present state of training programs in prefectural and ordinance-designated city libraries: Report of Research and Study Projects on Library and Information Science FY1999). (in Japanese. edited by the Institute of Library and Information Science, NDL, published by the Japan Library Association, June 2000).

3. Training programs in FY2003
Table 1 shows the training programs which the NDL offered in FY 2003 and were intended for library staff in Japan (not including the staff of branch libraries of the NDL). I will report on the training programs which the Library Support Division took charge of. (Programs underlined) * 

*Preservation and Conservation Training Program has been organized and held by the Preservation Division, Acquisitions Department; training programs on Asian resources by the Asian Resources Division, Collections Department, Kansai-kan.

For library staff abroad, the Japan Foundation and the NDL have co-hosted Training program for information specialists for Japanese studies. For details, please see the report in  NDL Newsletter No. 131 
 
 

The aim of the training program on rare and old materials was to provide the knowledge and techniques of organization and digitalization of rare and old materials. As this kind of training program is rarely offered within the country, the program was centered on old Japanese and Chinese materials for this year. The following are summaries of the lectures given in the program (unless so indicated, the lectures were given by the NDL's Rare Books and Old Materials Division staff):

• Introduction of Rare and Old Materials (by Hisaji Okazaki, Visiting Professor of the Institute for Culture at Kumano, Waseda University) gave an outline of how to conduct research on rare and old materials and how to reveal the origins of the materials by examining details.
• Cataloging old Japanese and Chinese Materials introduced various problems and tasks in cataloging old materials, with actual examples.
• Digital Archiving gave each participant a chance to compare a page of Nishikie (color wood-block print) with its digital image from the NDL's Rare Books Image Database and its photographed film. 
• Introduction of the NDL Collections gave an introduction of the NDL's major old Japanese and Chinese materials including rare items while showing the originals. 

The aim of the training program on digitization was to provide useful background knowledge on the methodology of digitizing library materials and the problems related to the digitization and their solutions. The following are summaries of the lectures and workshops offered in the program (unless so indicated, the lectures were given by the NDL's Digital Library Division staff):

•  Present State of the Digital Library introduced the history and the present state of digital libraries within/outside Japan and presented the process and problems of digitization. 
•  Production of the Image Database of the Books Published in the Meiji Era and Held by the NDL  explained the actual workflow of the copyright research, production process of the image data and content page text data, and the details of the system for managing the data. 
• Web Accessibility presented some points to be considered while making websites. 
• Digitization and Copyright (by Mr. Shin'ichi Isa, then Chief, Policy Planning Unit, Division for International Affairs, Japan Copyright Office, Agency for Cultural Affairs) called attention to the problems related to the copyright of digitized materials. 
• Production of the Image Data (1), (2) gave an overview of basic knowledge of producing monochromatic and colored image data, their formats and related software, by showing actual examples. 
• Workshop on Processing Image Data (by Mr. Hiroshi Ono, JIIMA-accredited* Document Information Manager (1st Grade), offered hands-on training on the basics of processing images and showed the actual examples of images deteriorated by compression and correction on displays. 

Reference Training Program, February, 2004 

The reference training program was aimed at providing practical training and useful solutions for day-to-day reference works carried out by medium-standing staff who are in charge of reference services in public libraries. 

The NDL staff from the Reference and Special Collections Department gave a lecture to present the tasks and problems of the reference services today. The program also introduced some of the most significant reference tools in social science (except law and politics) and in humanities including Internet resources. 

Mr. Yasunori Saito, Associate Professor, Department of Education, Tamagawa University, gave a lecture titled "Latest Reference Theories and Practices." Mr. Saito explained the theories of reference process and analyzed some reference examples based on those theories. He also talked about digital reference. The analyzed examples were drawn from the reference queries given to the participants before the lecture. 

At the closing discussion meeting, the issues that gathered the most attention from the participants were business-supporting reference services, making databases of reference examples, and introducing the Internet resources to users. The participants exchanged views and experiences over these issues. 

This program aimed to increase understanding of the nature of the above-mentioned information sources and of how to use them effectively in reference services. 

Mr. Tomohide Yoshizawa, Government Information Systems Planning Division, Administrative Management Bureau, Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications, gave a lecture titled "Trends of Government-wide Use of Information Technology (IT)." He explained the history and the future plan for utilizing information technology in administrative procedures and how to use the e-Gov*.  In the lecture titled "Acquisition and User Services of Official Publications at a Library," Mr. Yorikazu Nakao, then Chief Librarian, City Hall Branch, Hino City Library, explained effective ways of acquiring and providing access to official publications for users based on his experiences at the Branch. 

The lectures by the staff of the NDL's Parliamentary Documents and Official Publications Division introduced various information sources related to Japanese government publications, legal materials and parliamentary documents, and explained the characteristics of some major web sites in the field, including the Division's web site, and how to make the most of them.

*For more information, see the e-Gov web site at http://www.e-gov.go.jp/ 

Most of the resumes and other materials of the training programs offered during FY2003 will be put on the NDL website in the near future. The NDL plans to put up as many materials as possible of the programs of FY2004 and after.
 

4.Conclusion
It has been two years since the NDL started the project of promoting training programs at the Kansai-kan. While each of the NDL's training programs has been highly evaluated, we hear often from the participants that there should be a systematic structure of training programs. The two important points to improve our training programs are to be "Continuing" and "Systematic."

While we need to comprehend the needs for the training programs, we also need to research the trend of various training programs for librarians and other information specialists provided by other institutions. We also need to promote cooperation with these institutions. 

With the points mentioned above in mind, the NDL will continue promoting the project of training programs even further by providing the best training programs possible and by structuring programs in a systematic way.