• KOREA-CHINA-JAPAN International Conference on Preservation
• Acceptance of trainees from the National Library of Korea
• New leaflet
• E-learning
• Open seminar on the documentary heritage damaged by the Indian Ocean Tsunami and the meeting of Directors of the IFLA/PAC Regional Centres in Asia and others
• Creation of the directory and mailing list of the preservation organizations in Asia
• Acceptance of a trainee from the Nepal National Library

From July 7 to 11, 2008, a preservation conference with specialists from China and Japan was held in the National Library of Korea, in Seoul. From the National Diet Library, Ms. Kaoru Oshima, Director of the Preservation Division, Acquisitions and Bibliography Department, and Ms. Satoko Muramoto, Assistant Director of the same division, participated in the conference. Under the theme of "Preservation Cooperation and Update Conservation Techniques in Asia," two presentations were made by the participants from each country; one about cooperative preservation work with other libraries and the other about case-study of conservation techniques.

Related Articles:

• KOREA-CHINA-JAPAN International Conference on Preservation (National Diet Library Newsletter No.162, August 2008)

The IFLA/PAC Regional Centre for Asia received two trainees from the National Library of Korea, from June 17 to 18, 2008. The Preservation Division provided them with the training in the restoration of books bound in western style and those in Japanese style.

The National Diet Library made a new leaflet "Preservation and conservation of the National Diet Library" (both Japanese and English versions)

• Preservation and conservation of the National Diet Library [PDF:737KB]

The National Diet Library developed an e-learning system for library staff members, and has continued to provide an online training course on preservation and conservation since 2006. The second term of this e-learning started in November 2007, the number of participants was 250 members including staff members of overseas libraries such as librarians of Japanese literature. The total number of participants has reached 636. The third term will start in November 2008.
Under the theme "Basic theory of preservation and conservation," there are lectures about the method, the environment, and the measures of preservation. This e-learning is expected to complement the Preservation and Conservation Training Program held yearly at the National Diet Library.

See also: Remote Training Program for Preservation and Conservation Provided by the National Diet Library (International Preservation News No.51 August 2010 pp.24～26) [PDF:60KB]

The National Diet Library (NDL) held the seminar on December 6, 2005 at the Tokyo Main Library and 168 people participated. As it was one year since the Indian Ocean Tsunami struck the surrounding countries, it was held to figure out disaster prevention of documentary heritage and how to support the recovery from the damage.

On the next day, December 7, the Director of the International Focal Point and the directors of three regional centers in the Asia region (centers for Oceania and South East Asia, for China and for Asia) had a meeting to discuss future directions of IFLA/PAC core activities. It was the first attempt for IFLA/PAC to have a directors’ meeting within a certain region. A preservation specialist from the National Library of Korea and directors of the National Library of Indonesia and Sri Lanka who had delivered reports at the seminar held on the previous day also attended the meeting. The topics discussed there were: cooperation among regional centers, establishment of new center(s) in South East Asia and South Asia, support for and cooperation with preservation activities in the area, direction of disaster prevention and support for reconstruction, and others. The results of the meeting will be reflected in the next PAC strategic plan (2006-2008) and applied in future activities in Asia.

See also: International Preservation News (No.38 May 2006) [PDF:60KB]

There are three national libraries designated as IFLA/PAC regional centres in the Asia-Oceania region: The National Diet Library, Japan, is the regional centre for Asia, the National Library of Australia is the centre for Oceania and Southeast Asia and the National Library of China is the centre for China. The centre at the National Diet Library is responsible for the whole Asian region while the National Library of Australia is for Oceania and Southeast Asia and the National Library of China is domestic. Although the National Library of Australia disseminates PAC publications around Southeast Asia and the National Diet Library does so around the rest of Asia (the National Library of China takes charge of its domestic dissemination), apart from this, the National Diet Library works for Southeast Asia in cooperation with the National Library of Australia.

The centre at the National Diet Library wishes to develop closer contacts with the major preservation organizations in Asia and facilitate the information sharing on preservation through the centre actively gathering and disseminating the information. This is the reason the centre is now creating a mailing group for the whole Asian region.

The centre at the National Diet Library will be grateful if each attending country here will send e-mails to the following address giving the names and e-mail addresses of the people who are in charge of preservation in major organizations.
　
　Mr. Masaki Nasu, Director, IFLA/PAC Regional Centre for Asia

The centre at the National Library of Australia and the centre at the National Diet Library conducted a joint survey on preservation needs in Asia in 1992. It is assumed that the needs of each country must have changed since then in step with the altering information environment. Another survey should be done in the near future. In the meantime the centre at the National Diet Library asks each national library to send e-mails to the above address and let it know any substantial changes, the status reports and any request to the centre.

The IFLA/PAC Regional Centre for Asia made an arrangement with the Nepal National Library for preservation training in cooperation with the Japan International Cooperation Agency and received Mr. Pradeep Battharai, a staff member of the Library, from October 18 to December 1, 2004. The main focus of the curriculum is cultivating the staff to play a key role in managing preservation work at the Nepal National Library.

Related articles:

• Training programs for the staff of the Nepal National Library:a collaborative project of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the IFLA/PAC Regional Centre for Asia by Masaki Nasu (CDNLAO Newsletter, No. 51, November 2004)
• To Protect Irreplaceable Documentary Heritage at the Foot of the Himalayas -- Report of Visit to Nepal by Takao Murayama (National Diet Library Newsletter, No. 139, October 2004)