Remote Training Programs
The National Diet Library (NDL) provides video training programs on library and information science, mainly for librarians in Japan. These programs are available at the NDL's official YouTube channel. All programs are taught in Japanese, but some are available with English subtitles.
You can refer to the details of each program and watch them from the link below.
We do not give any certification for completion of these training programs.
The lecturer's titles are as they were at the time of recording.
Training about reference service
(1) Reference tools provided by the NDL
| Title | Content | Duration | Publication Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| NDL Search―How to make the best use of reference tools available from the National Diet Library― | In this course, we explain how librarians can make the best use of the features and functionality available from the NDL Search website to provide reference services at their own libraries. | 65 minutes | July 2024 |
| National Diet Library Digital Collections―How to make the best use of reference tools available from the National Diet Library― | In this course, we explain how librarians can make the best use of the features and functionality available from the National Diet Library Digital Collections website to provide reference services at their own libraries. | 22 minutes | July 2024 |
| Research Navi―How to make the best use of reference tools available from the National Diet Library― | In this course, we explain how librarians can make the best use of the features and functionality available from the Research Navi website to provide reference services at their own libraries. | 16 minutes | July 2024 |
| Collaborative Reference Database―How to make the best use of reference tools available from the National Diet Library― | In this course, we explain how librarians can make the best use of the features and functionality available from the Collaborative Reference Database website to provide reference services at their own libraries. | 13 minutes | July 2024 |
| Utilization of the Collaborative Reference Database | The purpose of this course is to foster an understanding of the Collaborative Reference Database (CRD), the advantages of participating in the project, and tips for utilizing it. | 62 minutes | March 2020 |
(2) Subject
Social science
| Title | Content | Duration | Publication Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Features of Japanese laws and regulations and how to search them | The purpose of this course is to explain the outline of laws and judicial precedents of Japan, and to introduce tools for searching them. We will also present how to search them. This course consists of two parts. The first half is about laws and regulations, and the second half is about judicial precedents. |
56 minutes | Februrary 2022 |
| Features of parliamentary records and other information and how to search them: Focusing on National Diet information on the internet | This course introduces an overview of parliamentary records and other information (minutes, bills, budgets, settlements, statements of questions, written answers), and presents how to find them on the internet. | 29 minutes | Februrary 2022 |
| Features of official publications and other information on the Japanese government and how to search them: Focusing on administrative information on the internet | This course presents an overview of official publications, government publications and the administrative system of Japan, and introduces some useful websites for research and others related to important official publications (Cabinet Decisions, white papers, official statistics and council records). | 25 minutes | Februrary 2022 |
| Legislative information on the National Diet Library available on the internet | This course introduces and presents how to use the Full-text Database System for the Minutes of the Diet and Index Database to Japanese Laws, Regulations and Bills as information resources related to legislative information on the National Diet Library available on the internet. | 24 minutes | Februrary 2022 |
| How to find economy and social science information in Japan | The purpose of this course is to introduce basic knowledge for finding economy and social science information in Japan. To be specific, we show how to research statistics, and how to find industry and market trends with search tools. | 57 minutes | July 2023 |
| A survey of materials on modern Japanese political history: Reading handwritten letters | This course presents an introduction to reading material on modern Japanese political history by deciphering the handwriting of leading political figures, as found in letters from the collection of the Modern Japanese Political History Materials Room at the National Diet Library. by Dr. Yoshiya SUETAKE, professor at Soka University and visiting researcher at the National Diet Library. |
121 minutes | September 2014 |
Science and technology
| Title | Content | Duration | Publication Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| How to search science and technology information | In this video, we explain basic knowledge and techniques for reference services in the fields of science and technology. To be specific, we show how to search documents by citation information, how to choose the right keyword for research, and how to use NDL Research Navi. | 59 minutes | August 2022 |
| Specialized materials in the fields of science and technology―Standards and proceedings | The purpose of this course is to enhance reference services in the fields of science and technology, especially standards and proceedings related to those fields. We will present an overview of these materials and how to search for them. | 66 minutes | January 2017 |
Humanities
| Title | Content | Duration | Publication Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Introduction to music and audiovisual materials | This course provides an overview of the knowledge necessary to find and use, musical scores, audiovisual materials, and other library materials related to music. by Dr. Mari ITOH, professor of the Faculty of Human Informatics at Aichi Shukutoku University. |
85 minutes | January 2017 |
| Basic knowledge of music for librarians | This course provides an overview of the knowledge used in providing reference services in the field of music materials. We will present a wide range of topics, including music terms, Western and Japanese music history, well-known works, instruments, and instrumentation. by Mr. Jun KOUDA, senior research staff at the Institute of Ethnomusicology of the Tokyo College of Music. |
142 minutes | March 2019 |
| The basics of children's literature: Have you read these books? ―For children in the higher grades of elementary school | In this video, we will consider the characteristics of children aged 8 to 12 years and recommend books for them to read. by Ms. Sumiko SHIRAI, professor at Shirayuri University and visiting researcher at the National Diet Library. |
101 minutes | June 2022 |
| The basics of children's literature: Fascinating nature of picture books ―Connecting various readers with colorful themes | In this lecture, we will look at a wide range of picture books that includes both best-sellers and lesser known works spread across genres as diverse as science and biography as we consider different points of view in evaluating and selecting picture books for children. by Ms. Sachiyo HOSOE, editor and part-time lecturer at Shirayuri University. |
79 minutes | June 2022 |
| The basics of children's literature: What is children's literature? | Different people have different ideas about what is meant by the term "children's literature." Children's literature is, of course, intended to be read by children. It is, however, written, sold, purchased, and assessed by adults. In this video, we will consider these and other peculiarities inherent in defining children's literature. by Dr. Ariko KAWABATA, professor of the Faculty of Human Sciences and Design at Japan Women's University. |
79 minutes | March 2018 |
| The basics of children's literature: Disappearance of the voice in modern Japanese children's literature | In this video, we look at the history of and consider current issues affecting Japanese children's literature, with a focus on the role of reading aloud to children. by Prof. Takeo MIYAKAWA, professor of the Faculty of Literature at Musashino University. |
86 minutes | March 2018 |
| The basics of children's literature: A general history of foreign children's literature: Focusing on English children's literature | Many works of children's literature from around the world have been translated into Japanese and are well known in Japan. This video provides an overview of the best known of these works and the development of fantasy, realism, adventure, and other genres. We will look at regional differences as well as the historical and cultural trends in discussing some famous works of children's literature and their reception in Japan. by Dr. Ariko KAWABATA, professor of the Faculty of Human Sciences and Design at Japan Women's University. |
105 minutes | March 2018 |
Other
| Title | Content | Duration | Publication Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| How to find doctoral dissertations in Japan | This course introduces an overview of doctoral dissertations in Japan and how to find and use dissertations held by the NDL, universities or other academic institutions in Japan. | 29 minutes | March 2021 |
Training about using NDL's service or database
| Title | Content | Duration | Publication Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| How to make good use of the bibliographic data of the NDL: Overview and how to use | This course focuses on the bibliographic data of the NDL, mainly the Japanese National Bibliography (JNB). With lots of references, we introduce the features of the data, use cases for using it for copy cataloging or book lists, and tips on how to get the data in line with each intended use. | 57 minutes | September 2024 |
| Key points of Nippon Cataloging Rules 2018 Edition | In this video, we explain the purpose and features of Nippon Cataloging Rules 2018 Edition (NCR 2018) for catalogers of libraries, comparing it with the 1987 Edition, using bibliographic data of books as an example. | 60 minutes | July 2022 |
| NDL support for libraries providing services for people with disabilities | This course introduces NDL's various support and cooperation programs for libraries which provide services for people with disabilities. | 19 minutes | February 2016 |
| How to make good use of the NDL Digital Collections for Japanese Studies | This course provides an introduction to the features of the NDL Digital Collections and how to search its contents from outside Japan. | 17 minutes | March 2017 |
Training in skills
| Title | Content | Duration | Publication Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conservation of Paper Materials: Minor Repair | In this course, you can learn how to quickly repair library materials using washi (traditional Japanese hand-made paper) and starch paste. This video has a version with Japanese only "動画で見る資料保存：簡易補修". | 28 minutes | February 2016 |
| Conservation of paper materials: How to make simple folding cases | In this course, you can learn how to make an inexpensive and easy-to-make folding case for protecting library materials from various causes of deterioration. | 18 minutes | October 2020 |
| Disaster preparedness for library collections | In this video, we explain basic knowledge of disaster preparedness to protect library collections against disasters, such as fires, earthquakes, and floods. The explanation is separated into 4 steps: prevention, preparation, reaction and restoration. | 63 minutes | September 2022 |
| Introduction to training programs on digitization | This course is an introduction to "The Basics of Digitization" and "Copyright Research and Utilization of Digitized Materials". It deals with a background and overview of digitization in Japanese libraries, aiming to improve understanding of the situation—how libraries promote digitization and what is difficult about it—and to gain a deeper understanding of these two particular programs. | 21 minutes | March 2019 |
| The basics of digitization | This course presents basic knowledge and practical tips for digitization. The purpose is to help people newly in charge of digitization to acquire the basic knowledge required for creating specifications and managing the process. | 81 minutes | March 2019 |
| Copyright research and utilization of digitized materials | This course provides an overview of the knowledge on copyright research necessary to digitize materials and provide them. We also introduce examples and ideas of promoting utilization of digitized materials. This program deals with domestic affairs based on Japanese copyright laws. | 63 minutes | March 2019 |
| Basic knowledge on long-term preservation of digital materials | This two-part course presents basic knowledge about the long-term preservation of digital materials. Part 1 teaches basic differences in recording media and typical problems in their long-term preservation. Part 2 teaches basic issues in the long-term preservation of digital materials while presenting a number of practical examples. | 94 minutes | February 2023 |
How to use sources of Japanese studies
| Title | Content | Duration | Publication Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research on Modern Japanese Literature Using Full-Text Data | Recently, the availability and use of Japanese full-text data has been increasing with remarkable speed. What approaches can the study of modern Japanese literature take in the face of the emergence of these new digital archives? This lecture will focus on the National Diet Library Digital Collections and its Next Digital Library, referring to Aozora Bunko and other digital library services as needed to show examples of their practices. Major topics will include an exploration of historical changes in concepts and keywords as well as the use of large-scale full-text data to discover new subgenres and to conduct a reception analysis. by Dr. Yoshitaka Hibi, professor at Nagoya University. |
57 minutes | September 2024 |
| Useful Resources for Japanese Linguistics Research and How to Use Them Effectively | The study of Japanese linguistics requires the collection and analysis of examples of how words are used. The NDL Digital Collection, Next-Generation Digital Library, NDL Ngram Viewer are useful tools for finding such examples. We will also consider ways to improve the accuracy of your research using online tools provided by the National Institute for Japanese Language and Linguistics, such as a corpus that is specialized for linguistics. by Dr. Okada Kazuhiro, part-time lecturer at Hokkai-Gakuen University. |
56 minutes | October 2023 |
| Practical Examples in the Research of Modern Japanese History Using Digital Archives | In this video, we use a visit to abroad by Prince Hirohito during the Taisho Era as a practical example in learning the details of the visit and reading about the reaction of Japanese people at the time via digitized historical material, including official documents, books, magazines, and newspapers. by Dr. Kawanishi Hideya, associate professor at Nagoya University. |
57 minutes | October 2023 |
Direct inquiries to:
Training and Exchange Section,
Library Support Division,
Kansai-kan of the National Diet Library
E-mail: training