A National Library of Korea (NLK) delegation visited Japan from May 24 to 31 on the 3rd mutual visit program between NDL and NLK. The program started two years ago to promote interlibrary cooperation and to further strengthen mutual understanding. Headed by Mr. In-Yon Shin, Chief of the Public Service Division, this delegation of this time had the following other members: Ms. Chiju Lee, Assistant Director of the Library Automation Office, and Ms. Jeong-Won Han, Librarian of the Acquisition and Technical Service Division.
The program consisted mainly of a seminar and study visits to the Oriental Library (Branch of the NDL), the Waseda University Library and the Osaka Public Library. The three-day seminar was composed of three sessions: the first session for keynote speeches, the second on the subject "Libraries and copyright" and the third for conclusions.
We introduce here summaries of the speeches given in the seminar, in particular focusing on those of the NLK.

Picture from left Mr. Naotake Ito (Deputy Librarian, NDL) Ms. Chiju Lee (from NLK) Mr. In-Yon Shin (from NLK) Mr. Masao Tobari (Librarian, NDL) Ms. Jeong-Won Han (from NLK)

Seminar I : Opening session (Keynote speeches)

"The role of the national library in the intellectual information society"

by Mr. In-Yon Shin, Chief of the Public Service Division of the NLK

The NLK has the following important projects: 1. Opening of the doctoral dissertations library, 2. Promotion of legal deposit of electronic publications, 3. Construction of the National Library of Children's Literature (provisional name)

In the NLK, demand for doctoral dissertations is relatively high, which causes some problems such as damage of materials and long waiting-time for access to materials. So, its annex, which has functioned as a model library for public libraries, is to be converted into a specialized library for doctoral dissertations next September. It is expected that the materials will be better preserved and users will be able to access the materials more easily in the new environment.
With regard to electronic publications, which are rapidly increasing, we should examine a more effective way to collect and provide them. Although we have already begun to acquire packaged ones such as CD-ROMs, the problem of how to collect networked electronic publications remains still unsettled. We might make them transmitted via network for legal deposit and process them so that we can provide them on our homepage. But, there are some difficulties to be resolved, including the restrictions of the copyright law.
The plan of the National Library of Children's Literature was announced only at the beginning of this year. The new Library will be constructed within easy access of Seoul and will be opened in the year 2002. Its purpose is to provide children with the proper environment for cultivating their thinking faculties and creativity.
Besides these projects, the NLK attaches importance to the following issues in order to meet the needs of the times : measures for preservation and conservation of printed materials, construction of an interlibrary network, reinforcement of the training of librarians, improvement of services for users, and decision of a development plan.
Libraries are turning from "library as institution" into "library as intellectual system" and the services provided by libraries are also obliged to change. However, I think that the raison d'etre of the "library as institution" which stores original printed materials and offers them to users will be unchanged. We should develop the traditional services and harmonize them with the new functions, such as an electronic library. I think that this is the path upon which national libraries should advance.

"The National Diet Library heading for the 21st century : project for the three-libraries system"

by Mr. Noriyoshi Tsuchiya, Deputy Director of the Administrative Department of the NDL

The NDL has two major projects : construction of the Kansai-kan(provisional name) and opening of the International Library of Children's Literature, for which we are actively preparing. At the same time, the functions of the Tokyo main library also have to be reconsidered. The NDL is required to fulfil its mission in the new environment enhanced by the progress of information technology. In this context, the NDL of the 21st century will be obliged to change in every respect. We are taking a fresh look at the work system and the services of the NDL. The services provided in the three libraries of the NDL will have to meet the demands of the information society of today.
We are preparing to provide digitized materials via networks as one of the services of the International Library of Children's Literature which will open partially next May. This service will be precursory for the electronic library services which the NDL will develop on a large scale in the future.
With the opening of the Kansai-kan in 2002, the three libraries of the NDL will have to be run as a harmonious whole. With this aim, the NDL has started system planning for the Electronic Library Infrastructure System. This system is not only the infrastructure on which the electronic libarary will operate, but also the prerequisite for the three libraries of the NDL to fully perform each unique function in one integrated network system. When the system is completed, the Tokyo main library, the Kansai-kan and the International Library of Children's Literature, which are physically separated, will be organically linked up and work efficiently with the new functions of the electronic library.

Picture left Seminar II : Libraries and copyright

Seminar ll : (Subject : Libraries and copyright)

"Electronic library and copyright law"

by Ms. Chiju Lee, Assistant Director of the Library Automation Office of the NLK

The rapid development of information-communication technology has made libraries change. The demand of library users to use library materials through the information network system is increasing. In this situation, every country is planning the construction of an electronic library, which is based upon digitized library materials. Yet, digitization of library materials is closely connected to the copyright problem.
The principal object of the copyright law is to protect the rights of copyright holders as well as to ensure fair availability of works. Generally speaking, however, these two principles are often contradictory to each other. Therefore, the copyright law has also an important function by which it should manage to harmonize them. So, also the Korean Copyright Law has an article which limits the rights of copyright holders in order to ensure users' convenience for loan and photocopying in libraries.
Digitization of library materials for the electronic library is regarded as "reproduction" in the concept of the Copyright Law. Reproduction of a whole work for the purpose of preserving library materials is permitted, but for the purpose of use by the public it might be against the law.
In Korea, the project of the construction of the electronic library system is now in process as a national project, and seven libraries are participating in the project. They are digitizing their own library materials to produce text databases. However, the above-mentioned problem might prohibit them from providing not only the digitized materials of the other libraries via networks but also their own. Besides, there are also many other problems which are caused by the copyright law. So, for the development of the electronic library, it will be necessary to study the possibility of introducing various measures which will successfully deal with copyright problems.
In Korea, the "Electronic Library" is much anticipated as a nationwide information system, and for this project the Government has spent a lot of money. If the functions of the electronic library are seriously limited by the Copyright Law, it is feared that the investment for the project will result in a great waste. We think that the digitization of library materials for the electronic library will contribute to the development of the culture. From this point of view, we should ask for the revision of the Law and the build-up of an institutional scheme which will promote the development of the electronic library without infringing the rights of copyright holders.

"The development of copyright clearance for the library service in Japan - focusing upon measures for the electronic library"

by Mr. Ryoichi Minami, Head of the Archives and Documents Section of the NDL

In Japan also, the Copyright Law has provisions which limit the rights of copyright holders, having regard to a just and fair use of works as cultural products. In the Japanese Copyright Law, as in the Korean Copyright Law, the provisions of limitations on copyright prescribed for library service are only those which concern reproduction in and by libraries. Reproduction of works in libraries is permitted only for limited cases and purposes under some strict conditions. These conditions are so restricted that the provisions of limitations on copyright cannot be applied to new types of library services such as electronic library service. For example, digitization of library materials for the purpose of transmission via networks should also require the permission of the copyright holders.
These are some possible ways of copyright clearance for the electronic library services:

1. To negotiate directly with individual copyright holders.
2. To negotiate with copyright clearance organizations for the works which are entrusted to them.
3. To digitize only the works which were permitted by copyright holders in advance.

Each has both merits and demerits. For copyright clearance, the NDL makes it a rule to negotiate with copyright clearance organizations, and when necessary, negotiates directly with copyright holders, too.
Recently, the NDL has been engaged in obtaining the consent of copyright holders for every work which must be digitized for the Picture Book Gallery, part of the International Library of Children's Literature. We have made every effort to locate copyright holders, appealing for information about the works whose copyright holders are unknown. Notwithstanding these efforts, copyright holders of many works remained unidentified. For these works, we'd applied for a compulsory license issued by the Commissioer of the Agency for Cultural Affairs, and he issued this license to us.
This is only one example of copyright clearance for the electronic library service. We need to go on wrestling with the copyright clearance problem in order to offer new types of library services, such as electronic library service, fax delivery service, et al..