The changing role of Staatsbibliothek zu
Berlin with respect to Japanese Studies
in Germany: From special collection tospecialist information service
ドイツの日本学におけるベルリン国立図書館の役
割の変身－「特定領域収集システム」から「専門情報サービス」へ

Ursula Flache
Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin - PK, East Asia Department
EAJRS 2015, Leiden, 18.09.2015

EAJRS 2012 in Berlin:
system of special collections in Germany:nationwide cooperation of libraries
established in 1949
funded by German Research Foundation
idea: at least one copy of each important academic book should
be available in Germany
coordinated nationwide acquisition plan according tosubject/region
3 national specialised libraries and 23 state libraries / regional
libraries / university libraries→ system was evaluated and adjusted to current needs ofacademic community→ change to specialist information services for researchers„Fachinformationsdienste für die Wissenschaft“ FID→ application for funding necessary
CrossAsia: http://crossasia.org * x-asia@sbb.spk-berlin.de| S. 2

gradual change:
libraries in charge of special collections devided into groups
2015: application year for libraries with regional special collections
so far:„Sondersammelgebiet Ost- und Südostasien“special collection for materials from and about East and Southeast
Asia (social sciences and humanities)
application for FID:
„CrossAsia – Fachinformationsdienst Asien“„CrossAsia – Specialist Information Service Asia“→ joint application with the University Library / South Asia Instituteof Heidelberg University→ regions: East / Southeast / South Asia
→ decision pending: notification in December 2015!

CrossAsia: http://crossasia.org * x-asia@sbb.spk-berlin.de| S. 3

current services via http:crossasia.org
CrossAsia Search: discovery system for searching more than 90
million entries of resources related to East Asia
Blue Interlibrary Loan Service: provides printed resources(books and articles), Japanese book collection: 230.000 volumes
Japanese databases: newspapers, journals, reference works,biographical information, law information, economic data etc..
Digital collections: complete rare book collection (578 titles)
and more than 4000 titles in Western languages about East Asia
are accessible online

CrossAsia: http://crossasia.org * x-asia@sbb.spk-berlin.de| S. 4

current services via http:crossasia.org
CrossAsia Campus: virtual storage (exchange of files, sharefiles with other users)
CrossAsia Forum: discussion platform for getting in contact withother users or the CrossAsia team
Online Guide East Asia (OGEA): database of free internet
resources related to East Asia
User guidance: introductions to CrossAsia and its databases tostudents and researchers either as webinar or as “real“ lesson
CrossAsia Newsletter: information about new contents, usefultips (twice a year)

CrossAsia: http://crossasia.org * x-asia@sbb.spk-berlin.de| S. 5

new framework for the FID system
System based on academic disciplines versus regional definitionof “FID Asia“
Acquisition according to current needs (no comprehensivecollection)
No limitation concerning publication year or type of media
E-only-policy (e-resources have priority)
Permanent access rights for databases required
Close contact to academic community, development ofservices with and for the academic community
No fulfillment of basic needs, but creation of a value-added
service
Funding period: 3 years, reduction of funding rate from 75%
to 66%

CrossAsia: http://crossasia.org * x-asia@sbb.spk-berlin.de| S. 6

Future projects in cooperation withUniversity Library / South Asia Institute ofHeidelberg University
Merger of the platforms Savifa and CrossAsia
Profiled collection building
E-publishing (open access)Optimization of CrossAsia Search
Development of an infrastructure for meta and fulltext data
(only for resources in Western languages, Chinese, South Asiantexts)
Contact to academic community and public relations

CrossAsia: http://crossasia.org * x-asia@sbb.spk-berlin.de| S. 7

Future projects
Profiled collection building•

Print and e-resources (Japan: academic books in print format)•Focus on current needs of academic community (humanities,social sciences, new fields of study)•Economics included (cooperation with German National Libraryof Economics, Kiel)•Simplification of acquisition requests via the CrossAsia Search(patron driven acquisition)•“Digitization on Demand“ service to supplement Blue ILL(copyright-free material)

CrossAsia: http://crossasia.org * x-asia@sbb.spk-berlin.de| S. 8

Future projects
E-publishing (open access)•Experiences of the University Library / South Asia Institute ofHeidelberg University•

CrossAsia Repository for electronic journals (Open JournalSystem)•CrossAsia E-Books platform (Open Monograph Press)•Publication of new e-publications, tranformation of print
journals, reprint of books that are out of stock•

Open access aggregator for reviews of books related to Asia
(cooperation with recensio.net)

CrossAsia: http://crossasia.org * x-asia@sbb.spk-berlin.de| S. 9Future projects
Contact to academic community and public relations•

Contact with users (telephone, email, CrossAsia Forum,CrossAsia Newsletter)•

User guidances, provision of “how-to-movies” for selectedresources•

Establishment of academic advisory board•

Workshop for evaluation of the FID service•

International exchange:− European Association of Japanese Resource Specialists(EAJRS)− European Association for Japanese Studies (EAJS)− Japan Specialist Workshop (NDL, Tokyo)− Library Fair & Forum (Yokohama)CrossAsia: http://crossasia.org * x-asia@sbb.spk-berlin.de| S. 10

From 2016 (hopefully):„CrossAsia – Specialist Information Service Asia“

CrossAsia: http://crossasia.org * x-asia@sbb.spk-berlin.de| S. 11