(March 2021) Ten years have passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake. One of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded in Japan, it caused widespread damage to the eastern coastal region, especially in the northeast. The earthquake and subsequent tsunami took a heavy toll of lives and caused massive damage to buildings and facilities, including…
Japan’s National Diet Library has 4.45 million items in its digital quake database, including over a million photos; physical artefacts are in regional museums Curators are working to make the items easily available to the general public and to preserve remnants of the disaster before they are lost (10 Mar 2021) In Japan, efforts…
(9 Mar 2021) In a landmark agreement, the Publications Division of the American Chemical Society (ACS) and Tokyo University of Science (TUS) proudly announce their collaboration to usher in a new era of open access publishing in Japan. Over the next five years, this agreement will bring the possibility for all publications by TUS researchers in…
(10 Mar 2021) As of June 30, 2021, the National Union Catalog of Newspapers in Japan database will no longer be available via the National Diet Library Search. The data of the National Union Catalog of Newspapers in Japan as of March 31, 2021 will be made available as described below. What will be available…
(Jan 2020) Since ancient times, calendars have been indispensable for knowing the changes of days, months and seasons. Every era has various types of calendars used in the daily life of the people, and some were particularly enjoyed for their special features. In this context, old calendars contain highly interesting materials reflecting the transition in life-style…
(9 Dec 2020) Libraries in Japan are hoping a machine that sterilizes books using ultraviolet light is giving visitors reassurance to take-out publications during the coronavirus pandemic. Libraries across the country are installing the machine, which takes 30 seconds to sterilize a book using UV light and flutter it pages to clear out dust.…
The Waseda International House of Literature is a public library designed by Kengo Kuma to house Murakami’s archive (24 Nov 2020) Last year, Waseda University announced plans for a new library on its campus, to be designed by renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma. The Waseda International House of Literature, nicknamed the Murakami Library, will house the novelist’s…
(Nov 2020) The National Diet Library Preservation Forum is a place where people involved in the care and preservation of library materials can learn about subjects of common interest and exchange practical ideas. The first NDL Forum on Preservation was held in 1990, and on December 19, 2019, was held for the 30th time…
(18 Nov 2020) The Japan Alliance of University Library Consortia for E-Resources (JUSTICE) and Elsevier, a global leader in research publishing and information analytics, have signed an agreement on a new three-year proposal for subscription publishing with measures to support Japan’s open access (OA) goals, effective January 1, 2021. This is the first such agreement for Elsevier in Japan…
(7 Nov 2020) News from Japan: The Agency for Cultural Affairs is considering Copyright Law revisions to allow libraries to send digital versions of books directly to readers’ computers or smartphones, triggering fears among publishing houses of copyright infringement and a flood of pirated works. One proposal is to weaken the control copyright…