Part one (no.128, last issue)

• Introduction
• 1. National Bibliography
  • The legal deposit system, National bibliography, National library>
  • Improvements in the Japanese National Bibliography
  • JAPAN/MARC
  • Online digital publications and metadata

• 2. OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog)
  • NDL-OPAC
  • Japanese Periodicals Index
• 3. Bibliographic control
  • Bibliography compilation and bibliographic control
  • Standardization
  • Domestic and international cooperation
  • Bibliographic information network in the NDL and bibliographic control
• Conclusion

The number of card catalog users has been dwindling, as the OPAC has become the search tool of choice. We have been promoting computerization of cataloging, retrospective conversion, construction of a network and development and introduction of the OPAC since the 1970s. We have already achieved our long-term aim of the NDL-OPAC (National Diet Library Online Public Access Catalog) (Japanese only), which enables users to search most of the NDL collections on a single screen. 

The NDL-OPAC

The NDL-OPAC is available on the NDL web site from October 2002. 
Major improvements compared with the old online catalog (Web-OPAC) are: 

• Expansion of data supply
  The following materials can be searched in addition to books in Japanese and Western languages.
  • Data of books in Japanese have been added retroactively back to the Meiji era (2.63 million items in total).
  • Periodicals in Japanese and Western languages (all the 166,000 titles)
  • Japanese Periodicals Index
  • Maps
  • Doctoral dissertations
  • Technical reports, Standards, etc.
  • Others
• The Search page links to the Holdings & Request page
• The location of the searched material (Tokyo Main Library, Kansai-kan or the International Library of Children's Literature (ILCL)) shown on the Holdings & Request page.
• Each issue of periodicals displayed on the Holdings & Request page

The Japanese Periodicals Index covers a wide range and long period of major Japanese serials. All the 5.4 million items can be searched on the NDL-OPAC from November 2002. The data has been accumulated since 1948 and now it is extracted from 9,600 titles. As the data creation is based on the NDL holdings, users can assuredly reach the articles. Registration for copying service of articles via the NDL-OPAC started in October 2002. Registered individuals can request the service from January 7, 2003. 
 

3. Bibliographic control

It is said that bibliographic control comprises every technique of identifying and recording bibliographic data for making materials/documents available to the public. Bibliographic control is closely tied to the national bibliography compilation, so as the national library, we take a role in bibliographic control as well as in compiling the national bibliography. The Bibliographic Control Division was first established in the reorganization in FY 2002. As its name suggests, it takes charge of bibliographic control and makes necessary adjustments to respond to the new IT environment. It aims at eventually enhancing bibliographic services. 
 

Bibliography compilation and bibliographic control

The national bibliography is published with a certain level of contents to function as a standard catalog of domestic publications. Each national library creates such a standard national bibliography and allows mutual use of bibliographic data. Thus, standardization, cooperation and techniques necessary for worldwide provision of bibliographic data are included in bibliographic control. 

The NDL bibliographic control is done through publishing the national bibliography, so we consider it is inseparable from the usual bibliographic data creation. Processing techniques and relevant arrangements such as creating or adopting practical and various other standards are in fact included in the bibliographic control. 
 

The diagram below shows major standards concerning bibliographic data creation and provision. It contains standards for libraries (e.g. cataloging rules, classification schemes) and for characters and databases. Standardization is essential for the wide and free flow of bibliographic data because it directly facilitates data distribution, search and handling.

Conceptual diagram of  bibliographic and authority data creation and provision   Web Provision  OPAC  Editing Techniques (HTML, etc.)  Z39.50  Data for Search Kana notation Romanization rule Standard Number / Code International Standard Number ISBN (ISO 2108:JIS X 0305) ISSN (ISO 3292:JIS X 0306),etc. Code  Language Code (ISO 639-2)  Country Code (ISO 3166-1:                       JIS X 0304), etc. Contents of Data Cataloging Rule Operational Regulations for NCR (Nippon Cataloging Rules) Classification NDC (Nippon Decimal Classification)  applicable  criteria NDLC (National Diet  Library Classification) List of Subject Headings NDLSH (National Diet Library List of Subject Headings) Metadata NDL Metadata Element Set (in conformity with Dublin Core) Foundation Character Character code system (JIS X 0208:1990) Regulations for character (Chinese character / alphabet / mark) handling Data Format JAPAN / MARC format / UNIMARC format / General output format not in use now

Domestic and international cooperation

Bibliographic control is carried out in cooperation with national libraries, international institutions concerned with standardization, libraries and other related institutions in Japan. In practical terms we are participating in standardization through publishing the NDL standards and detailed regulations, dispatching delegates to supporting groups and giving comments to investigations. 

The International Standard Serial Number (ISSN), at the left of the diagram, is the code number that identifies serial publications all over the world. The NDL assigns the numbers to new periodicals as the Japanese national center of the ISSN network. 

We have been holding a conference on bibliographic control since FY 2000 for the purpose of sharing and solving actual problems with Japanese individuals and institutions concerned. The themes for the past two conferences were: "New bibliographic services in the Electronic Information age" (FY2000) and " Issues on bibliographic control" (FY2001). We have shared the same recognitions on bibliographic control and confirmed future directions with the speakers and many participants. In future, we will focus on individual problems and seek solutions through the conference. 

Bibliographic information network in the NDL and bibliographic control

We built up the " integrated bibliographic database " to establish the basis of new services in FY 2002. Bibliographic data, which had been separated into types of material, was gathered together in the integrated bibliographic database. After several years of preparation, the foundation for data standardization was also completed. The Tokyo Main Library, the Kansai-kan and the ILCL collaborate in the NDL's bibliographic information network. Bibliographic data will be input from all parts of the NDL and the data editing and output system will be revised simultaneously to provide previously mentioned products such as the OPAC and the Japanese National Bibliography. 

NDL bibliographic control is taking shape for cataloging the materials in the Tokyo Main Library, the Kansai-kan and the ILCL. The reorganization and the start of the Kansai-kan services developed and objectified our bibliographic service.

Conclusion

From the medium- and long-term prospect, the start of the new service is just a milestone on the way. At the same time, it is a point of target setting and departure for the next action. We still have a lot of issues to take measures for; the completion of retrospective conversion, dealing with audiovisual materials and networked digital publications, advanced access from subject headings and classifications, new trend in cataloging rules, authority control and so forth. 

The purposes of the functional enhancement of the Bibliography Department produced by this reorganization are to cope with IT progress and to take a part in the new NDL services. We hope we can start operating the new services in FY2002 smoothly and go for the next target.