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The Pronouncement of the Architectural Institute of Japan Library.

 

The Architectural Institute of Japan (AIJ) Library in Tokyo is a collection for members of the organization.

The AIJ started in 1886 as the first architectural academic institution in Japan. With its long history, its membership consists of more than thirty-thousand architectural specialists, including researchers, as well as architects, engineers and contractors. As such, its library has a large amount of architectural books and written materials. Its collection includes full copies of its academic monthly magazine Kenchiku Zasshi, literary The Architectural Magazine, started in April 1887, as well as all of the collected papers issued by AIJ, along with architectural books and magazines put out not only in Japan but also abroad. In order to become a better academic center that helps to foster future architectural culture, the library aims to take the following measures:

 

a)Digitization of the materials the library has in conjunction with the National Institution of Informatics is ongoing. In the database CiNii (http://ci.nii.ac.jp/), all the copies of Kenchiku Zasshi, collected papers issued by AIJ up to one year before, and other publications issued by AIJ (up to 1963) are available. Most of them are written in Japanese. The library continues to digitize the materials it has, including old precious books in its collection, while respecting their copyright.

 

b) Digitization of the materials is also important to reduce the knowledge gap among AIJ members; it enables the members outside of Tokyo to get easier access to the information in the library.

 

c) The library makes it a rule to hold original materials even when they have been digitized, as it recognizes both the merits and limits of digitization; i.e. once media and software have changed, digitized information would not be available.

 

d) According to the original intention of the library, it puts a high priority on the AIJ membersf use. As a rule, an outsider with a recommendation of an AIJ member could use the library by paying 300 yen a day. Visiting CiNii over the Internet is free.

 

e) The library understands the importance of dealing with inquiries from abroad. Its home page (http://www.aij.or.jp/jpn/tosho/tosho_e.htm) already runs both in Japanese and English. The library is now looking for ways to respond to references from abroad in English.

 

The Library of the Architectural Institute of Japan
Announced on 05/31/2010

 


@accesses since June 1, 2010