On October 1, 2002, the NDL web site was re-designed to be more user-friendly. (See: Top page of the National Diet Library web site)
The English version is prepared to correspond with the Japanese version as much as possible.

Purpose of revision

The average daily number of accesses to the NDL web site has recorded about 40,000. The starting point of the revision was to reconsider the role of the NDL web site. We examined how the NDL web site was being used, from the number of hits to each content and defined some categories such as retrieving catalog, viewing and reading digitized materials, searching by theme. Then the contents were grouped according to the purpose of use.
It is also important for the user to get relevant information as easily as possible. For example, each page is designed simply, so that those who use text-to-speech software feel no stress. 

Under the concept of "from a decorative web site to a useful web site", the site map is created (See: Site map after October 1).

Characteristics

Let us introduce the main characteristics following the new site map.
Enhancing the service via the Internet: search and use materials

The "useful web site" provides access to use of the collection. 
A special feature of the old web site was the "Electronic library" menu as a portal to access primary information (material itself) and secondary information (information concerning materials such as bibliographic information). As a scope of our service as a digital library has expanded, however, we decided that it would be more useful to navigate directly to each service.

Online Catalogs is put on the top menu as a gate of access. Catalogs made by the NDL are gathered in the menu so that you can search the vast amount of materials and information the NDL has collected and accumulated for various kinds of use. Especially,the National Diet Library Online Public Access Catalog (NDL-OPAC) enables you to search most of the NDL holdings such as books and periodicals and to request copying service.  * The English version of the NDL-OPAC is under construction at this time; however, the English version of the old online catalog called Web-OPAC will continue to be available for some time.  You can view primary information (material itself) inthe Collection of the Digital Library. Added tothe Rare Books Image Database (Japanese only), the Digital Library from the Meiji Erais newly launched and you can view digitized books published in the Meiji era. Information on the Internet collected by the Web Archiving Project (WARP) could be said to be a new NDL collection. This content will be open to the public in November 2002.

Information on the Diet & Parliaments

As its name shows, the NDL is the library of the Japanese Diet. In the Diet & Parliaments, you can use the Full-text Database System for the Minutes of the Diet (Japanese only). The Statutes and Parliamentary Documents Room's page provides information about legal materials and parliamentary documents as well as related links. This page is due to be released by November 2002.

Service points and User guides

The NDL provides services at the Tokyo Main Library, the Kansai-kan of the National Diet Library and the International Library of Children's Literature. International Services is also available, introducing the outline of the reference service, interlibrary loan and copying service for users abroad. 

<Tokyo Main Library> 
Buildings of the Tokyo Main Library are undergoing renovations until FY2004. Information about unavailable materials and the opening of new materials rooms will be announced on this web site as occasion demands.

<Kansai-kan of the National Diet Library>
In commemoration of the opening of the Kansai-kan in October 2002, its history and feature are introduced on the Opening of the Kansai-kan page.
An Internet tour, Tours of the Kansai-kan, introduces characteristics of the building designed by Mr. Fumio Toki and highlights with various images.
Events after the opening will also be featured on this page.

<International Library of Children's Literature(Japanese only) >
The ILCL home page was renewed in May 2002, when the library was fully opened, and provides information concerning children's reading.

Enjoy the Library

The NDL Galleryprovides an entrance to the Digital Exhibition featuring digitized materials and explanatory notes. 
We plan to devise attractive pages so that you will find it fun to visit, discovering unexpected materials. 

Information about NDL activities

Outlook of NDLis a page giving an outline of the NDL and explaining its main activities in detail. The menu on this page comprisesthe NDL Profile, an outline introduction, Services for the National Diet and Services for the Executive & Judicial Agencies.
Digital publications issued by the NDL are also available.

Web sites are living and bring us active and fresh information through continuous updating. Thus, the NDL web site is a mirror reflecting the current state of the NDL. We would like to enhance this web site with you and continue to improve it to meet changing needs.

The design of the top pagehas a "bookmark" image as a useful tool. The motto, "Truth will make us free", which is the basic principle of the NDL stated in the preface of The National Diet Library Law, is inscribed on the top page.