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Help : Collections
Frequently asked questions
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- Q
- Is it true that the NDL holds all publications in Japan?
- A
- Based on the National Diet Library Law, the deposit of publications at the National Diet
Library is mandatory for all publications issued in Japan (the Legal Deposit System). However, since some publishers are
unfamiliar with the legal deposit system, some publications have not been deposited by the publisher. The
Library will keep striving to disseminate information and raise public awareness of the legal deposit
system.
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- Q
- Is there any difference in the materials available for use at the Tokyo
Main Library, the Kansai-kan Library, and the International Library of Children's Literature?
- A
- Yes. Please check the NDL Search to see which Library houses the materials you are looking for. You can also order in materials not held by that Library, and in some cases you may be able to read materials in a different format, such as electronic journals.
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- Q
- Are there maps of residential areas in the collections? Can I use these?
- A
- Tokyo Main Library
- The Library's collections include residential area maps from across the entire country. The age
of these holdings varies depending on the region, but the collections includes old maps from the 1960s (the
23 wards of Tokyo) and the 1970s (other regions).
These materials are not available for external
lending and cannot be mailed as copies or ordered into the Kansai-kan Library. Please either read these or
use the copying services at the Tokyo Main Library.
- Kansai-kan Library
- The Kansai-kan Library does not have any residential area maps in its collection.
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- Q
- Are there old newspapers in the collections? Can I use these?
- A
- There are old newspapers in the collections; however, some titles are missing from the
collections. Many back issues of old newspapers are also missing. These materials are available for reading
or copying as microfilm or facsimile editions.
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- Q
- Are there textbooks in the collections? Can I use these?
- A
- Japanese textbooks have been acquired starting from fiscal year 2002 (fiscal year 2003 for high
school textbooks), and these are available in the International Library of Children's Literature.
Essentially, the collection does not include any earlier textbooks than this.
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- Q
- Are there dictionaries (Japanese or foreign) in the collections? Can I
use these?
- A
- Tokyo Main Library
- The latest editions of the most common foreign language dictionaries (including regular
dictionaries, Chinese character dictionaries, encyclopedias, and English-Japanese dictionaries) are
available in the Humanities Room on the 2nd floor of the Tokyo Main Library.
However, older editions and dictionaries for limited specialist fields such as law and economics are housed
in the closed stacks or other Special Materials Rooms. Please check NDL Search for details.
- Kansai-kan Library
- These are available in the General Collections Room.
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- Q
- Compared to Japanese materials, the Library's collections of specialist
books and journals from abroad is rather small. Please work to expand this collection.
- A
- Unlike Japanese publications acquired through the legal deposit system, the Library acquires
foreign publications more selectively through purchasing or international exchanges. Given budgetary
constraints, the Library prioritizes the acquisition of foreign publications considered useful in government
deliberations and academic studies/research.
Selection of materials is undertaken in accordance with the Policy for Acquisition of Materials (in Japanese) and the
Guidelines for Acquisition of Materials (in Japanese).
In addition, the Library also acquires materials in the fields of science and technology to further the scientific and technical information development (in Japanese) of
Japan as a whole, and boasts one of the finest collections in Japan.
Taking into account the nation's
needs, we will keep working hard to expand the collection, in accordance with the Library's acquisitions
policy.
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