InternationalLibrary of Children's Literature,
National Diet Library
国立国会図書館 国際子ども図書館

Children's books link the world and open up the future.

Role as a library dedicated to children’s books
Based on the philosophy “Children’s books link the world and open up the future!”
the International Library of Children’s Literature (ILCL), a branch of the National Diet Library(NDL), was established.
The ILCL is a national library based on the National Library Law, dedicated to children’sbooks, which provides internationally linked library services for children’s literature
published in Japan and abroad.

Enrichment of collection
・ The ILCL acquires and preserves an extensive collection of childre’s books (defined asmaterials intended primarily for users aged up to 18 years) published in Japan, based on thelegal deposit system, under which publishers are required by law to furnish a copy of every new
publication to the NDL. The ILCL has collected and preserved an extensive collection of school
textbooks since FY 2002.
In addition, the ILCL collects and houses children’s books and related resources from about
160 countries and regions through purchases, international exchanges and donations.
・ The ILCL promotes the digitization of its collections to support reading activities and research.

Special Materials and Collections
The ILCL formulated the Basic Plan for the International Library of Children’s Literature 2021-2025
in March 2021, which defines its mission and basic roles as follows:

MissionRole

For all children, reading activities are “indispensable to learn languages, to cultivate
sensitivity, to heighten power of expression, to enrich creativity and to acquire power forliving life more deeply” (Act on Promotion of Children’s Reading).
In a form that responds to the changes in the environment surrounding children andlibraries in an increasingly digital society, the ILCL has a mission to support activities
and research related to children’s books by using its abundant domestic and foreignmaterials and information resources.
The ILCL fulfills the following three basic roles.

・Nobumasa Ikeda Collection
・Winnington-Ingram Collection
・Children’s Book Collection of the Gordon W. Prange Collection(available in the NDL Digital Collections)

Providing information on children’s books
・ NDL Search allows you to centrally search for materials of major
related organizations that hold children’s books.
・ We are expanding the additional information available asbibliographic data, such as information on the outlines of books,
on Japanese children’s books translated and published inforeign languages, etc.
・ By using our specialized knowledge based on experience withreferences related to children’s books, we introduce how tosearch for information related to children’s books, etc.

NDL Searchhttps://iss.ndl.go.jp/?locale=en

NDL Online

https://ndlonline.ndl.go.jp/

RESEARCH NAVI

https://rnavi.nd l.go.jp/en/index.html

Support for children’s service personnel

1Role as a library
dedicated tochildren's books

Role as a place
where children
encounter books

Role as a museumof children'sbooks

The ILCL acquires, preserves,and makes available a wide
range of Japanese and foreign
children’s books and related
ma t e r i a l s. By pro v i d i n g
professional information on
children’s books, it also supports
a variety of programs related tochildren’s books and reading.

Not only at the ILCL itself,
but also through the internet
and other libraries nearby,
the ILCL gives every childthe opportunity to become
familiar with libraries andreading.

The ILCL will realize the libraryas a place where people canenjoy culture in a comprehensive
manner, taking advantage ofelectronic exhibitions provided
via the internet and the uniquecharacteristics of its historicalbuilding located in Ueno, in
addition to the Museum.

・ We provide information on children’s books such as Japaneseand foreign children’s literature awards.
・ By holding professional training programs and meetings, wehelp children’s service personnel to improve their expertise andalso provide a place for information exchange. We conduct
online professional training programs, so that children service
personnel nationwide can take the course.
・ We dispatch our staff to basic training programs on children’sbooks and services.
・ By accepting trainees of related organizations in Japan andabroad, we support human resource development.

Promotion of children's
reading activities
https://www.kodomo.go.jp/english/promotion/index.html
Newsletters via email (in Japanese)
https://www.kodomo.go.jp/
about/mai lmagazine /index.html

Cooperation and public relations with related organizations
・ The ILCL participates in international conferences such as the IFLA General Conference andAssembly and IBBY International Congress, etc.
・ We hold exhibitions, lectures and other events in collaboration with related organizations.
・ We carry out various projects in cooperation with cultural and educational institutions in andaround the Ueno area.

２

Role as a place
where children
encounter books

Role as a library
dedicated tochildren’s books

Provide an opportunity forc h i ld r e n to i n t e r a c t w i thbooks and become familiar
with the library andreading.

Collect, store, and providec h i l d r e n’s b o o k s a nd
provi de specializ ed
i nfo rm a ti on.

Role as a museumof children’s books
P r o v id e a p l a c e w he r e y ou
c a n get to know the culturec om p re he ns ive ly th rou g h
e x h ibi tion s, e le c t ro n i ce xhibitio ns a nd historicbuilding.

34

History

Role as a place where children encounter books
Providing information to tempt children into reading

・ National Diet Library Kids’ Page … This website provides
information about the National Diet Library.
・ ILCL Online Public Access Catalog for Kids … Using ILCL
OPAC for Kids, children can search materials in the ILCL bythemselves.

N a t i o n a l Die t Lib r a r y
Kids’ Page ( in japanese)

https://www.kodomo.go.jp/kids/

ILCL Online Public Access
Catalog for Kids (in japanese)
https://iss.nd l.go.jp/children/
top/

Supporting children’s reading activities at other libraries
・ We provide book lists of past small themed exhibitions according to seasons, andinformation about books introduced at events, on the ILCL website.
・ As support for school libraries, we provide the Book Sets Lending Service for School
Libraries, which lends children’s books including foreign books.
・ We loan public libraries the book set of the exhibition “The World through Picture Books”
led by the IFLA section Libraries for Children and Young Adults.

Activities at the ILCL・ ILCL houses rooms for children of/under elementary school age and theTeens’ Research Room for adolescents of junior high/high school age.
・ We hold nursery rhyme and picture book readings, story hour forchildren and events for adolescents of junior high/high school age.
・ We hold different kinds of library tours according to the age ofparticipants, and research practice programs for adolescents ofjunior high/high school age as an opportunity to experience research
activities.
・ We hold library tours for children with special needs and exhibit books
for persons with disabilities and books for understanding disability.

From the Imperial Library to the International Library of Children's LiteratureThis western, Renaissance-style building of the Meiji era, designatedas a historic building by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, wasfirst constructed in 1906 as the Imperial Library. In 1929 (Showa era),some additional construction work was done.
After World War II, the Imperial Library ceased to exist, and in 1947,
it was renamed the National Library. In 1948, the National Diet
Library was established, and this library was reorganized as its
branch. In 2000, the building was reborn as the International Libraryof Children's Literature (ILCL).

Chronology
Nov.1995

Report of the investigation committee on establishing a new facility of the NDL
facility to provide children’s books and others submitted

May 1996“Basic Plan of the International Library of Children’s Literature (ILCL) ” formulated

Jan .2000
May 2000
May 2002
Oct . 2008
Mar . 2011
Sep. 2015
Mar . 2016
May 2019
Mar . 2021

“Second Basic Plan for the ILCL” formulatedArch Building opened
ILCL fully renewed
Number of visitors reached two million“Basic Plan for the International Library of Children’s Literature 2021-2025”
formulated*The latest data before the spread of COVID -19

Library tours for children

Exhibitions

・ We hold various attractive, themed exhibitions and exhibitions of our large collection offoreign children’s books.
Small themed exhibitions are also held in other rooms.
・ We provide digital exhibitions, which anyone can visit, to promote children’s books and tointroduce Japanese children’s books globally.

ILCL Collection
Statistics(as of March 31, 2021)

・ Taking advantage of the appeal of our buildings as historic structures and cooperatingwith nearby cultural facilities, we provide opportunities to enjoy culture such as music
and ar t with children’s books.
・ We hold exhibitions about the ILCL’s buildings and its history to deepen understanding ofthe ILCL. We provide a virtual tour with a 360° panoramic view.
Past Exhibitions

https://www.kodomo.go.jp/english/
event/exhibition/past_exb.html
Past Events

https://www.kodomo.go.jp/english/
event/past_evt.html

Japanese books ( Volumes )324,623

Foreign books ( Volumes )122,641

Japanese magazines ( titles)

1,872

Foreign magazines ( titles )191

Days open
Number of visitors

285
143,241

Under 15 years old

30,285

Circulation

29,281

Photoduplication

7,050

Reference services

A library as a place to become familiar with culture

5ILCL fully opened
Number of visitors reached one million.

The ILCL in Numbers from April 2018 to March 2019 (as of March 31, 2019)

Role as a museum of children’s books“Concert for children”in cooperation
with the Tokyo Bunka Kaikan

ILCL officially founded
ILCL partly opened to the public ( Phase I )Lending service

Guided Tour
Website Access

Building(as of March 31, 2021)

Document Reference

135

Telephone Reference
Under 18 years old

1,063
1

Onsite reference
Under 18 years old

17,173
2,031

Mutual Lending among Branch Libraries

11Interlibrary Loan

267

Book-sets Lending Service for School Libraries

7,602

Exhibit-sets lending Service

1,831219

Top page (Japanese /English)

322,099

Ground floor

7,733 square meters

Brick Building Total floor area

6,672 square meters

Stack capacity

0.4 million volumes

Arch Building Total floor area

6,184square meters

Stack capacity

0.65million volumes

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Brick Building The Brick Building, which was originally built as theImperial Library, was renovated for opening as the ILCL in 2000. As aleading example of Renaissance-style Western architecture from the Meiji
Era (1868-1912), it has been designated a selected historic structure by theTokyo Metropolitan Government.

Arch Building

Across the courtyard from the Brick Building, the Arch
Building was built in 2015. The building is shaped in a gentle arc.

Children’s LibraryResearchers’ Reading Room

Meet the WorldGrand Staircase

Story Hour RoomMuseum

This reading room, mainly for children up toelementary school age, contains children’sliterature published in Japan. Small themed
exhibitions are also held according toseasons.
/ Brick Building 1F

This is the primary access point for
researchers seeking to use the children’s
literature collection of the ILCL. Users are
required to fill in the application form toaccess this room and to use materials stored
in the closed stacks. /Arch Building 2F
The staircase rails, thick wooden doors andchandelier conveying the flavor of the Meiji
Era can be seen.
/ Brick BuildingThis room provides children with materials
on the geography, history, and folklore ofvarious countries and regions. Picture books
and story books in foreign languages arealso available.
/ Brick Building 1F

Story hour for children and nursery
rhyme a n d p i c t u r e b o o k r e a d i n g s a r eheld here.
/ Brick Building 1FExhibitions of children’s literature are heldhere.
/ Brick Building 3F

Gallery of Children’s Literature

H al lTeens’ Research RoomCommon RoomConcerts, an exhibition introducing the ILCL
and other events are held here.
/ Brick Building 3F

Materials which demonstrate theh i s t o r y o f J a p a n e s e c h i l d r e n’s b o o k sfrom the M e i j i E r a t o t h e p r e s e n t a r eexhibited.
/ Brick Building 2FThis is a room for resting, eating andnursing.
/ Brick Building 1FMaterials mainly useful for teens’ research,
and assistance with research-orientedlearning, are available here. A research
practice program for teenagers is also
provided (advance reservation).
/ Br i c k B ui lding 2F

International Library of Children’s Literature

12- 49 Ueno Park, Taito-ku.Tokyo 110-0007, JapanU
International Library S guisu
of Children’s Literature out dan
hE ixitTokyo National Museum
Tokyo Universityof the Arts
Tokyo Metropolitan
Art Museum

Tokyo Bunka Kaikan+81-3-3827-2053

F A X+81-3-3827-2043

Websitehttps://www.kodomo.go.jp/Newsletters via email

To subscribe,visit the website

Hours

9:30 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.

ClosedMondays, National holidays (except Children’s Day on May 5 )Year- end and New Year holidays
Third Wednesdays of the month (for refiling)

Loc a t i on

10minutes’ walk from JR Ueno Station (Park Exit) or
JR Uguisudani Station (South Exit)

Ueno

National Museumof Western Art

Park Exit

Ueno Zoological
Gardens

fountainNational Museumof Nature andScienceT E L

National Diet Library International Library of Children’s Literature March 2023