5. Emphasis on Asia

(1) Information services on Asia

The NDL puts emphasis on activities with an eye to Asia. The Kansai-kan of the National Diet Library was established with such a major function as information services on Asia. Placing the Asian Resources Room in the Kansai-kan at the center, the whole NDL is making efforts to enhance user services including remote services based on information resources on Asia that have been accumulated for years. Since 2002, the National Diet Library Asian Language Materials Online Public Access Catalog is open to the public (bibliographic data of Chinese, Korean, Mongolian and Vietnamese materials are included at this time). To cooperate with not only domestic but also international Asia-related institutions, an international symposium named "The New Horizon of Library Services Toward the Better Understanding of Asia" was held in the Kansai-kan in 2003. 

(2) Editorial work for the CDNLAO Newsletter

Since 1983, the NDL has edited and published an English newsletter, CDNLAO Newsletter, to provide a forum for exchange of information among librarians in the Asia and Oceania region. This newsletter, first named the A/O Newsletter, was launched based on the Recommendation adopted by the Second International Conference of Directors of National Libraries on Resources Sharing in Asia and Oceania held in 1982, hosted by the NDL. The Conference was renamed the Conference of Directors of National Libraries in Asia and Oceania (CDNLAO) from the fourth conference held in Beijing in 1989. The newsletter was also renamed the CDNLAO Newsletter from 1988. With the cooperation of librarians in the Asia and Oceania region, by the 50th issue published in July 2004, approximately 300 articles were carried in 21 years. In addition to the paper version, web version has been on the NDL website since 1998 and the paper version was discontinued in 2003.

(3) Mutual visit programs with the National Library of China (NLC) related article

The NDL and the National Library of China (NLC) have been sending staffers to one another since 1981, thus deepening friendly relations and improving each other's library services. The first time the NDL sent delegates headed by the Deputy Librarian to China, and since then two libraries have alternately sent five delegates to the other's country. In 2004, the 24th program was held in Japan. Having reported on their activities and exchanged opinions on themes of the time, the two libraries have made use of what they gained from those occasions to enhance their own library services. In May 1999, the two national libraries exchanged a letter of intent of five articles concerning exchange and cooperation, with the intention of enhancing friendly/cooperative relations and promoting activities to respond to the digital information age. Based on the Letter, the NDL has been acquiring Chinese materials to expand the Asian materials collection in the Kansai-kan with cooperation from the NLC. For details, please see here.

(4) Mutual visit programs with the National Library of Korea (NLK) and the National Assembly Library of Korea (NAL)  related article

Mutual visit programs with the NLK started in 1997 to deepen mutual understanding among library communities in neighboring countries for the 21st century and to collaborate on solving common problems. The first program was held in the NDL and since then the two libraries have alternately sent three delegates to the other's country. In 2004, the 8th program was held in Korea. At the meetings, which are mainly in the form of seminars, participants present common issues, and actively exchange opinions, questions and answers. As a result of this activity, the two libraries have established a friendly relationship and other activities on themes such as preservation and children's services have also started. For details, please see here.

As a parliamentary library, the NDL also has a relationship with the National Assembly Library of Korea (NAL). In 2000 and 2001, both libraries alternately sent one staffer for one-month training. Based on the results of this training program, the NDL and the NAL started a mutual visit program in 2003. In the first year, two staff members from the NAL visited the NDL and had a seminar on the theme "What the services for parliaments should be." This activity will be held twice in each library for four years. For details, please see here.

6. Supporting overseas Japanese studies

As the largest resource of Japanese information, the NDL is making efforts to share its collection worldwide and always seeks to support overseas Japanese studies institutes and scholars. For this purpose it is developing access methods to its resources from overseas through such services as online bibliographic databases and digitized materials, and improving copying service. Since 2002, the Japanese Periodicals Index has been available via the NDL-OPAC and users can search and request copying service for periodical articles at the same time. It provides strong support for Japanese studies scholars overseas. 

With the Japan Foundation (JF), the NDL has jointly hosted training programs for information specialists on Japanese studies who are working in overseas libraries and institutions. The first program was held for five years; from FY1996 to FY1997 under the title of the Training Program for Senior Japanese Studies Librarians and from FY1998 to FY2000 under the title of the Training Program for Japanese Studies Librarians. Since FY2002, a three-year program has been held under the title of the Training Program for Information Specialists for Japanese Studies. Since 1996, the total number of trainees is 88 from 29 countries. This three-week program including high quality lectures and study tours is highly praised by trainees and related institutions. 

7. Children's literature service

8. Construction of the NDL Digital Archive: a global digital library

To acquire, preserve and provide digital information resources is an urgent issue not only for the NDL but also for other national libraries around the world. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) defines "digital heritage," resources of information in digital forms including the Internet resources, and adopted the Charter on the Preservation of the Digital Heritage at the 32nd General Conference in 2003. In the charter, the appropriate legal and institutional frameworks needed to secure the protection of each country's digital heritage are stated.

The first project to share digital information resources worldwide and to make them accessible is the G7 (G8 after 1998) electronic library project proposed at the "Meeting of Concerned Cabinet Members for the Information Society" held in Brussels in 1995. It had been carried out under the joint sponsorship of Japan and France, and the NDL played a positive role in its activities. In 1997, as a part of the G7 (G8) electronic library project, the Bibliotheca Universalis Project began under the theme of "Exchanges between people." In 1999 it came out of the G8 scheme and was reorganized as a joint project based on an agreement signed by 13 national libraries. The NDL continues to participate in the project and made the electronic exhibition "Nippon in the World" available on the NDL website in 2000. Although the Bibliotheca Universalis originally aimed at sharing digitized materials and bibliographic information, with the rapid development of the Internet, its objective was shifted to focus on network resources. Other international joint projects have been launched. The NDL is involved in international challenges through sending staffers to international conferences on the digital library and inviting people in charge of digital library projects. 

9.  As a member of the global library community

I have outlined the NDL's international cooperation activities from traditional international exchange and sharing of bibliographic data to the latest activities such as the digital library. In addition to the activities mentioned above, Current Awareness, a quarterly magazine, and Current Awareness-E, an e-mail newsletter that disseminates information about international movements and topics in the library and library science field to domestic libraries, can be included in NDL international activities in a broad sense. 

In 2002, the NDL was extensively reorganized. As a result, library cooperation related works was separated into functional categories and reallocated among several divisions. International cooperation is now needed in every division and this reallocation is quite beneficial for the development of the whole NDL and its international cooperation function. The legal and other systems that are the basis of the NDL and the know-how and experience acquired through implementation of projects could be useful for the libraries of other countries. Sharing these achievements with colleagues worldwide, the NDL will be able to make further international contributions. Staffers dispatched by the NDL to international conferences this year made as many presentations as possible to introduce NDL's activities. We consider that such a succession of little efforts can be as important a contribution as big projects in sharing information resources and the know-how with the international library community.