No. 122, November 2001

The 21st Mutual Visit Program between
the National Diet Library and
the National Library of China

A National Diet Library (NDL) delegation visited China from September 19 to 28, 2001 on the 21st mutual visit program between the NDL and the National Library of China (NLC). For reports on past programs, please see here.

Headed by Mr. Tsuyoshi Ujigo, Deputy Librarian of the NDL, the delegation consisted of the following four other members: Mr. Motonobu Yoshinaga, Director of the Detached Library in the Diet, Mr. Jun Utsu, Chief of the Modern Japanese Political Documents Division, Mr. Osamu Yoshimoto, Chief of the Photoduplication Division, and Ms. Shigako Okamura (interpreter), Researcher of the Education, Culture, Science and Technology Division. In the last part of the schedule, they visited Chengdu, Sichuan province, to attend the annual meeting of the China Society for Library Science.

The main theme of the program was "Remote services of the national library in the 21st Century" and the sub-themes are "Reference service in the electronic environment" and "Document supply service in the electronic environment".

Delegation of the NDL (from left):

Mr. Osamu Yoshimoto (Chief, Photoduplication Division)
Mr. Jun Utsu (Chief, Modern Japanese Political Documents Division)
Mr. Tsuyoshi Ujigo (Deputy Librarian)
Mr. Motonobu Yoshinaga (Director, Detached Library in the Diet)
Ms. Shigako Okamura (Researcher, Education, Culture, Science and Technology Division)

Plenary Meeting

At the Plenary Meeting, Mr. Ujigo reported on recent developments in the NDL, focusing on the remote services. To serve the Diet, the NDL has set up a web site named "Chosa-no-Mado" (access to research services) for the Diet members through which they can access contents such as issues related to national politics, and the Full-text Database System for the Minutes of the Diet. To serve the general public, the Electronic Library Infrastructure System will act as the basis of remote service. This system will integrate existing bibliographic databases and manage library materials from acquisition to public use. As a result, the Tokyo Main Library, the Kansai-kan (provisional name) and the International Library of Children's Literature will work in coordination with each other organically to provide more advanced services.

Ms. Sun Beixin, Deputy Librarian of the NLC, reported on the remote services of the NLC. The NLC has been developing its network environment since 1997. Through its web site, users can search bibliographic data and reserve a book, access various databases, and ask librarians questions via e-mail. The digital library projects of the NLC started in 1996 and some of the projects such as "Reading on the web" and "Document digitization system" are already in service.

Section Meeting

From the NDL, Mr. Jun Utsu reported on reference service. As the users' needs change, reference service needs to be fast and convenient. After the new Web-OPAC is installed, users at home will be able to find out the status of the materials. In the past, providing holding data took up a considerable part of reference services. But in the information overload society, it is important role for librarians to provide not only holding data but also subject resources, and navigate users to essential information. From April 2002, the special materials rooms of the Tokyo Main Library will be reorganized into a more subject-oriented form.

Mr. Ma Xiaolin, Head of the Reference, Research and Training Department of the NLC, introduced the current activities of the Department. The NLC has been providing reference services via e-mail from 1997 and the number of cases received by the Department is about 300 to 400 a year. In 2001, they started a reference work database system, through which library staff can make various searches by client's name, contents of cases, date of request, and record number. They also provide 2,105 selected web links in four categories (library information science, overseas Chinese studies, domestic & foreign statutes, and governmental sites of various countries) with comments. As for services to the government, they made a subject gateway which can be accessed via governmental leased line. They have started to construct a trial national reference cooperation network to share information resources.

Mr. Osamu Yoshimoto introduced document supply services in the NDL, focusing on current activities, services for China, and future objectives. Only 500,000 people a year visit directly the Library in person. To serve all over the country, the NDL lays emphasis on library cooperation and remote services. There are few requests from China for Japanese documents. But this may be because of the inconvenience of the system, research and analysis are needed. Remote services requested to the NDL are still mainly lending and document supply. Though the Internet and the electronic library are important tools for document supply, the problem of what is to be served and how remains to be solved.

Mr. Hu Zhicheng, Deputy Head of the Stack Management & Reading Services Department, introduced document supply services in the NLC. Quickness, convenience and quality are the Library's service philosophy. To develop potential needs of remote users, the NLC lays emphasis on public relations. They provide attractive contents on the web such as "Hot Theses and Books Recommendation" (introducing most frequently used books and periodicals of the month) and keep in touch with remote users, for example, by sending greeting cards.

Discussion on the Letter of Intent concerning Exchange and Cooperation between the NDL and the NLC 

On September 21 and 28, 2001, the NDL and the NLC discussed the "Letter of Intent concerning Exchange and Cooperation between the National Diet Library and the National Library of China" that was concluded in 1999. About Section 5, acquisition of materials, the NLC introduced the past record of its surrogate acquisition for the NDL. The NDL expressed satisfaction and wanted to expand this cooperative relationship. About Section 4, exchange of materials and document delivery, the NDL suggested an intermediary photoduplication service between the NLC and the NDL. Both agreed to keep discussing this issue including the payment system that was suggested by the NLC.

Mr. Ujigo (3rd from right) delivered a congratulatory address at the annual meeting of 
the China Society for Library Science in Chengdu, Sichuan (09/26/2001)