On November 19, 2008, a symposium titled "Through knowledge we prosper – New role of the National Diet Library –" was held at the Tokyo Main Library of the NDL (live broadcast at the Kansai-kan of the NDL) to discuss what the NDL needs to be in the changing society.

Dr. Nagao

Prof. Tadano

The symposium consisted of two parts. In the first part, Dr. Makoto NAGAO, the Librarian of the NDL, introduced seven goals for actualizing the NDL’s vision: "Through knowledge we prosper." Then, Prof. Masahito TADANO, from Hitotsubashi University, gave a lecture about the NDL’s legislative assistance to the Diet.

In the second part, a panel discussion was conducted in regard to libraries as public intellectual bases, and the NDL’s roles in the information society.

On this occasion, an exhibition was held at the Tokyo Main Library. Materials related to people who had contributed to the foundation of the NDL such as Goro HANI, Tokujiro KANAMORI, Masakazu NAKAI and Verner W. CLAPP were displayed. Miniature books and other books with remarkable binding selected from the NDL’s collections were also exhibited.

More details of this symposium will be published in the NDL Monthly Bulletin no. 575, February 2009 (in Japanese).

An exhibition of rare books titled "Rare books of the National Diet Library – The 60th anniversary –" was held from October 16 to 29 at the Tokyo Main Library, and from November 13 to 26 at the Kansai-kan.

At the NDL, materials that are regarded as particularly old and valuable are designated as rare books or semi-rare books based on certain criteria. Seventy-seven items, mainly selected from such rare books or semi-rare books, were displayed in the exhibition. It included two nationally-designated important cultural properties owned by the NDL: "Moromori-ki" and "Soke-monjo (Tsushima-soke Wakan Kankei-shiryo)."

The exhibition was also shown in the online gallery on our website. In addition, two commemorative lecture meetings were held: one by Mr. Takashi ATODA (writer, president of Japan P.E.N. Club) at the Tokyo Main Library on October 25 and the other by Mr. Koichi FUJIMOTO (visiting professor of Ryukoku University) at the Kansai-kan on November 22.

The NDL hosted the 16th meeting of the Conference of Directors of National Libraries in Asia and Oceania (CDNLAO) on October 20. Twenty-seven representatives from 23 countries participated in the 2008 meeting held under the theme of "Cooperation in Knowledge-based Society."

On October 21, the NDL held the CDNLAO Open Seminar "Asia and Oceania NOW! – Libraries in the Changing Information Environment." Five representatives from the CDNLAO 2008 participants (Mongolia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines and Japan) gave a report on their current situation and challenges.

For details of the seminar, please see CDNLAO Newsletter No.63