As the only deposit library of Japan, the NDL has a mission of storing and preserving deposited materials as national cultural properties for present and future generations. Accordingly, the collections of the NDL are in principle to be read within the NDL building and not to be lent out to any individuals.

However, it is possible for overseas users to read the NDL materials at their university libraries or other community libraries by taking advantage of the interlibrary loan service, provided that the following conditions are met:

A library wishing to borrow items from the NDL must register for the User Registration system for Interlibrary Loan Services.

Application procedure for user registration system for interlibrary loan services

To register for the system, a library must submit the following three documents to the address below by post:

*  We may ask more questions about your library or ask you to submit other documents.

Address

*  Please send the applications and other necessary documents to the NDL by post. We do not accept applications by fax or e-mail attachment.

Notice of approval

After the application is approved, we will send to your library the written approval, Certificate of User Registration and the other documents.
The Certificate of User Registration includes the User ID and Password which are necessary for you to make loan and photocopy requests via the Internet by our online catalogue, NDL-OPAC.
The English version of the NDL-OPAC has no application screens.

• You will need to wait about four to six weeks for the approval etc. excluding time for postal delivery.
• If your library's name, address or other information is changed after approval, please let us know by letter, fax or e-mail to the following address with your user ID:

ILL-Section, Kansai-kan of the National Diet Library
8-1-3 Seikadai, Seika-cho, Soraku-gun, Kyoto Prefecture
619-0287 Japan
fax: +81-774-94-9112 / e-mail: ill-sec@ndl.go.jp

Please note that not all NDL materials are loanable. Generally speaking, the materials that the NDL lends out are Japanese and Western books acquired in 1948 or later.

Materials not loanable

• Serials (newspapers, periodicals, etc.)
• Materials in deteriorated condition (acidic, etc.)
• Rare and precious materials (old Japanese books, etc.)
• Materials unsuitable to lending (large-sized books, reference books, pamphlets, etc)
• Non-book materials (doctoral dissertations, single-sheet maps, electronic resources, music scores, phonographic records, microfilms, microfiches)
• Books for amusement
• Digitized materials
• Documents belonging to a special collection

The borrower is required to return the borrowed materials to the NDL within one month from the date of receipt.

The maximum number of items that can be borrowed from the NDL at any time is ten, including items that you already have from an earlier request.

Via Internet

Please visit the Japanese version of the NDL-OPAC (online catalog) to request materials from the NDL. A user ID number and password are required.

*  The English version of the NDL-OPAC has no application screens.
*  We do not accept any loan requests by EMAIL.

By fax or mail

Fill in the designated request form and send it to the following address by mail or by fax:

*  To get the request form (PDF), you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader (free download). Click here to download. (Adobe Website)

Shipping

The item is sent to the requesting library by registered air mail from one of the three NDL libraries, (Tokyo Main Library, Kansai-kan, or ILCL) depending on which library holds the item.

Postage

Postage for sending out is borne by the NDL. The requesting library bears only the return postage.

Check on arriving items

The material lent out by the NDL arrives with the loan slip and "To Borrowers". Please make sure the arriving item and the loan slip are correct and that the material is in good condition.
The right side of "To Borrowers" is labeled, "Receipt Letter of the Loan Material". When you receive the borrowed material, please check the condition of the item, fill in the form "Receipt Letter of the Loan Material", and send it to the NDL(Tokyo Main Library, Kansai-kan, or ILCL) by fax or e-mail within three days.

[Before use of the loan materials]

1. Arrival of the material
2. Check the condition of the material
3. Fill in the form "Receipt Letter of the Loan Material", and send it to the NDL
4. Use of the loan material

*  The information in the loan slips may be different from the information you entered in your application form sent by fax or mail.

• The items that the NDL lends out must be read only in a reading room of the requesting library.
• It is not allowed to copy them in the requesting library.
• If a material borrowed from the NDL is damaged or lost, the NDL must be reimbursed.

How to return

• Materials must be returned to the library from which they were sent. Do not return materials to the wrong library.
• All returns must be sent by registered air mail. The mailing addresses are:

• After using the borrowed material, please make sure again the item is in good condition.　If the item was damaged or lost, please contact the NDL immediately.
• When sending back the borrowed material, please pack it tightly so that it should not move inside, and use the return address label attached to it.
• Please keep the loan slip and "To Borrowers" in a safe place and put them between the leaves of the book when returning it to the NDL.

Return Postage

All the materials lent out by the NDL must be returned at the expense of the requesting libraries.

When the NDL cannot comply with the request, the NDL will send an explanation of the reason by e-mail or by mail.