The Collaborative Reference Database Project of the National Diet Library of Japan

1. The Collaborative Reference Database Project ofthe National Diet Library of Japan By Kiyoko MURAKAMI Assistant Director Domestic Materials Acquisition Division Acquisitions Department National Diet Library of JAPAN April 1, 2004 NCC Annual Open Meeting

2. Library services via Internet from 2002 • NDL-OPAC • Remote users can not only search bibliographic data but also request copies of the found materials via the Internet • Digital library projects • Digital Library from the Meiji Era • Rare Books Image Database • Digital Navigation Service (Dnavi) • Web Archiving Project (WARP)

3. Collaborative Reference Database Project • One of the projects that the NDL also launched in 2002 • An experimental project in digital library services • The project has just finished the original three-year experimental period • Will be released to the public from FY2005

4. Objectives of the Project • To collect and accumulate reference examples from all kinds of libraries in Japan and make a nation-wide database • To provide via the Internet to the world • To examine new possibilities of reference service in cooperation with libraries nationwide

5. The basic idea of the project • The NDL has long accumulated a heap of reference records in paper form that were hardly ever used again • Most of the databases which individual libraries have produced to keep their own reference records are too small to be useful • The basic idea of the project is to put these unused or underused reference records into one usable database • If such a database is available to everyone, it can be used as a tool for information and search

6. Progress of the Project • We started the system design in FY2002 • We first invited the libraries to participate to the project in FY2003 and 148 libraries became members • With 4,500 case data, experimental operation started in FY2004 • Two meetings were held to exchange information

7. Verification items • Effectiveness of reference examples when released on the web • Improvement in libraries' reference work enabled by the integrated database of reference examples • Methods of library cooperation using the database • Standard format for exchanging and sharing reference examples

8. System Framework The Collaborative Reference Database System consists of four databases 1. Database of reference examples consisting of reference queries and answers 2. Database of manuals to find resources on specific subjects 3. Database of information on special collections (e.g. private collections) held in each library 4. Database of profile data of member libraries

9. Functions of the System Member libraries can • input data such as reference examples and manuals directly onto the databases • produce data in the standard format and register massive amounts of data in block onto the databases • search across the four databases at the same time • use bulletin board function which helps exchange of information between members

10. Options to control access to database • To ensure the protection of personal information and privacy, reference records cannot be opened to the public without some kind of restriction • Three options to control access to the data: • for their own reference only • open to the member libraries • open to the public • Each member library should be responsible for protecting its own data

11. Samples of display flow Main display flows are shown as follows • Search page • Results page • Detailed record page

16. Current State of the Project • Reference examples: 12,000 items • Manuals: 171 items • Data on special collections: 178 collections • Member libraries: 283 (first 148) participants Public libraries (60%), Academic libraries (27%), Special libraries (10%) • The level of access: • for their own reference only: 50% • open to the member libraries: 10% • open to the public: 40%

17. Agenda and Perspectives • There are still several unresolved matters that we need to tackle • We need to increase the number of member libraries and the amount of data • We are planning to call for participation from overseas • We need to draw up an instruction manual to maintain the quality of the data

18. Enhancement of the system functions • We have added functions: • Browsing, searching by analogy, and displaying keywords • To attach images when registering data and to insert a comment on other members’ reference data • Member libraries can set up bulletin boards divided by subject • In the future, we will need new functions such as a collaborative answering system ・・・

19. Users’ queries became more complex… • Today anybody on the Internet can make easy instant searches • When users cannot find an answer on the Internet, they have come to turn to libraries more often than before • At the same time the queries have become more complex and sophisticated than before

20. Responsibilities in library reference • There are many popular question-answering services on the Internet • The merit of this system is the reliability of the answers because reference librarians can provide for users based on credible information sources • For today’s reference librarians, it is one of the most significant responsibilities to guarantee the credibility of information

21. For more information Please contact ; Digital Library Division, Projects Department Kansai-kan of the National Diet Library 8-1-3 Seikadai, Seika-cho, Soraku-gun, Kyoto JAPAN 619-0287 tel: +81-774-98-1475 fax: +81-774-94-9118 email: info-crd@ndl.go.jp

22. Thank you for your attention