CDNLAO Newsletter
No. 67, March 2010
1 Basic roles
The International Library of Children’s Literature (ILCL), established as a branch of the National Diet Library (NDL), is the first national library in Japan that specializes in children’s literature. It was founded in January 2000, partially opened to the public in May 2000 and started full services in May 2002.
The basic roles of the ILCL are as follows:
1) Role as a special library for children’s literature
- To widely collect, preserve and provide domestic and foreign children’s books and related materials, and at the same time, support various activities concerning children’s books and children’s reading through researches, training programs, information service, etc.
2) Role as a place where children meet books
- To provide all children with opportunities to enjoy reading and libraries through the provision of Japanese and foreign children’s books, various events, guided tours and information service, etc.
3) Role as a museum of children’s books
- To broadly introduce the charm of children’s books to the public through exhibitions on children’s books and related lectures, various events, etc.
ILCL Building (front view)
IILCL Building (back view)
2 Organization and collections
The ILCL comprises three divisions under the Director General: the Planning and Cooperation Division, the Resources and Information Division and the Children’s Services Division. There are 37 staff members. The collection exceeds 300,000 books. A Japanese children’s book delivered to the Tokyo Main Library of the NDL is catalogued and provided to the ILCL. The ILCL enriches the information of the cataloging record by adding the plot, information on awards won and specialized information, puts the record on the Union Catalog of Children's Literature (Japanese only), and makes it available on the Internet. The ILCL acquires foreign books mainly by purchase, and the collection covers 120 countries and regions.
3 Services
(1) On-site user services
i) Reading, copying, and reference service
There are two reading rooms: Researchers' Reading Room 1, where materials of Asian countries are open-shelf, and Researchers' Reading Room 2, where materials of non-Asian countries are open-shelf. In principle, these rooms are aimed at people age 18 or older.
ii) Services for children
As services for children, about 12,000 children’s books that have been read by one generation after another, and materials that introduce the geography, history and folklore of the world, are placed on open shelves in the rooms named Children's Library and Meet the World. DVDs for children are available in the Media Corner. On weekends, story-telling sessions, reading of picture books, and the Story Hour for Babies and Toddlers (an event with children’s songs and picture books) are conducted in the Story Hour Room. During the summer holidays, a “Fun with Science” event is held so that children can find science enjoyable.
(2) Exhibitions
Various exhibitions on Japanese and foreign children’s books are held in the Museum on the third floor in order to stress the charm of children’s books and give children opportunities to meet books. The exhibition “Children's Books Going Overseas from Japan” commemorating the 10th anniversary of the opening of the ILCL is taking place from February 2010. Japanese children’s books translated and published in foreign countries are on display in the exhibition, and visitors can learn about the spread of Japanese children’s books across the world.
(3) Internet service
The ILCL is committed to provide on its website information useful for people engaged in children’s services, such as the Union Catalog of Children's Literature, operated jointly by NDL and seven major institutions which hold Japanese children’s books.
In addition, copyright-cleared picture books are shown with sound in the Picture Book Gallery. We hope you will visit http://www.kodomo.go.jp/english/ from your home or school in any country in the world.
4 Support for libraries
(1) Book Sets Lending Service to School Libraries
The ILCL prepares book sets aimed at educating about countries and regions, and lends them out to school libraries to support them as they play a key role in the promotion of children’s reading activities. One set consists of about 50 books. The lending service was provided to 259 school libraries in 2008.
(2) ILCL Lecture Series on Children's Literature
The ILCL Lecture Series on Children's Literature has been held every year, aiming at improving the skills of librarians involved in children’s services and cultivating their knowledge. In 2009, a lecture meeting was held under the title “When and what to encounter: from picture books for babies to young adult books.”
Copyright (C) 2010 National Diet Library
