No. 133, October 2003

The 7th Mutual Visit Program between
the National Diet Library and
the National Library of Korea

Session I: Opening session (Keynote speeches: Overview of the present status of the National Diet Library and the National Library of Korea)

National Diet Library Heads into New Era

by Mr. Mikio Wanaka
Deputy Director General 
Administrative Department
National Diet Library

1. Achievements of FY2002
The NDL was reorganized in FY2002 and started providing services in three facilities: the Tokyo Main Library, the Kansai-kan of the National Diet Library and the International Library of Children's Literature (ILCL). In connection with the reorganization, the NDL website was also completely revised and started to provide new services including digital library service. In January 2003, a client/server system, the Electronic Library Infrastructure System that has almost all functions for processing library services, was launched.

2. New services
Users can use the NDL in four ways:

1. Visiting the library
2. Remote use through local public libraries and academic libraries
3. Requests for copying service from home via the Internet
4. Reading the NDL holdings at home via the Internet

Expansion of the NDL-OPAC and provision of the subject guides on the Internet has made it possible to confirm holding information and ways of finding of the materials in advance, before visiting the library. Users also can make requests for loan, copying and reference services through local libraries using the NDL-OPAC. From May 2003, payment by credit card became available for overseas users (related article).

The electronic library service was improved and users can access its rich contents from home or office. The NDL considers these services are a realization of the objectives of the electronic library described in the National Diet Library Electronic Library Concept (1998); that is, everyone can enjoy accurate and quick services from anywhere and at any time.

3. Library in future and role of national library
<Portal of information resources>
A library will become a portal to the information resources for various communities including virtual communities on the Internet where people with the same interests exchange information among themselves. The NDL has the potential to be a portal of the areas of the Diet members' interest. If the NDL values the national strategy to strengthen access to information as the foundation of economic activities, it might be a portal to business information. It will be important to clarify target users and cooperate with various communities.

<Provision of information>
In a self-responsibility-based society, it is necessary to correct the digital divide. Provision of information resources via the website will be an essential role of the NDL from now on.

<Exhaustive acquisition and preservation of information resources>
As the deposit library, NDL also has a cultural and historical role to acquire and preserve information resources exhaustively. To fulfill this role, the NDL recognizes that cooperation with national libraries and mutual understanding is necessary, especially in the East Asia region.