1. About NDL Online


1 Scope of the search 2 Requesting library services 3 Other functions4 Overview of library materials


The National Diet Library Online Search and Request Service (NDL Online) is fast and easy way to search and request library materials and digital contents at the NDL.


Top page

1-1 Scope of the search

Printed materials and digital contents are searchable.

Please see section 1-4 Overview of the materials for more detail about available materials.


Table1 Scope of the search
Library materials Includes books, periodicals, newspaper or magazine articles (the Japanese Periodicals Index), Japanese and Chinese old materials, maps, materials on the Allied Occupation of Japan, standards, technical reports, etc.
Digital contents The NDL Digital Collections, E-Books, E-Journals, etc.
Materials for persons with print disabilities Audio recordings of academic literature produced by the NDL, etc.
Subject information Contents database (Research Navi)
 

1-2 Requesting library services

The cart function allows patrons to request more than one material at a time.

Different services are available to different user types.


1-3 Other functions

My List

Registered patrons can store the results of searching bibliographic records in My List. Login required.

Please see section 10 My List for details.


Download bibliographic records

All patrons can download bibliographic records in TSV or BibTex format.

Please use NDL Search to download data in MARC format.


User registration application via the Internet

Patrons can apply for user registration via NDL Online.

Patrons who complete the user registration process via NDL Online may use the NDL's remote user services. They may also enjoy all onsite library services when they visit the NDL by following the procedure to receive a Registration Card.

Please see section 9-2 Becoming a Simple Registered User for details.



1-4 Overview of library materials

Types of materials

The following types of materials are available.


Table3 Types of materials
Books Includes books and non-books (materials categorized into other material types such as music scores, still images, Braille), reports under Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research, materials from international organizations, electronic books to which the NDL subscribes, etc.
* Some yearbooks have been cataloged as journals since approx. 1986.
Periodicals Includes magazines, magazines in microform, electronic journals and newspapers to which the NDL subscribes, online journals published in Japan and assigned ISSN, and other periodicals.
* Some yearbooks have been cataloged as books.
Articles Includes articles cataloged in the Japanese Periodicals Index made by the NDL or cataloged in Online Publications.
* Please refer to the List of Indexed Periodicals in the Japanese Periodicals Index (in Japanese) to see which periodical titles that have been selected and indexed.
Newspapers Includes newspapers and newspapers in microform.
Japanese and Chinese Old Materials Includes Japanese materials created before the end of the Edo period (1868) and Chinese materials created before the end of the Qing dynasty.
* Some old materials cannot be searched via the NDL Online. Refer to print catalogs such as 帝国図書館和漢図書書名目録 (Teikoku toshokan wakan tosho shomei mokuroku), 新編帝国図書館和古書目録 (Shinpen teikoku toshokan wakosho mokuroku), or 国立国会図書館漢籍目録 (Kokuritsu kokkai toshokan kanseki mokuroku).
> Research Navi: 古典籍資料をさがす (in Japanese)
> Research Navi: 国立国会図書館の重要文化財 (in Japanese)
Maps Includes Japanese- or foreign-language single-sheet maps and residential maps produced during and after the Meiji period.
* Atlases are cataloged as books.
* Japanese-language maps produced during or before the Edo period and foreign-language maps produced before 1830 are cataloged either as books or as Japanese and Chinese old materials.
>Research Navi: 地図をさがす (in Japanese)
Electronic Resources Includes CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, etc.
* Music CDs and LDs are cataloged as audio materials.
* Electronic publications that were attachments to books are cataloged as books.
* Electronic publications such as journals and newspapers are cataloged either as periodicals or as newspapers.
Video Includes video materials such as videotapes, DVDs, etc.
Audio Includes recorded music such as CDs, phonograph records, etc.
* Most analog recordings have not been cataloged by work name or artist name.
Doctoral Dissertations Includes Japanese-language doctoral dissertations, foreign-language doctoral dissertations.
* ProQuest dissertations are cataloged as standards and technical reports.
Standard and Technical Reports Includes specialized materials on science and technology such as standards, technical reports, papers from academic societies and associations, and UMI dissertations.
* For more information about these collection (feature, holdings, search hint), please refer to links below (Japanese only).
[Standards]
International standards, national standards, and organization standards such as ISO, IEC, JIS.
[Technical Reports]
U.S. Government Technical Reports (PB, AD, DOE, NASA, etc.), INIS (International Nuclear Information System) report, RAND report, etc.
[Papers from academic societies and associations]
Mainly papers of four academic societies (AIAA, ASME, SAE, SME)
[UMI dissertations]
North American doctoral dissertations in the field of science and technology distributed by UMI.
Online Publications Includes online publications such as annual reports, yearbooks, directories, public relations magazines, bulletins, articles in journals, and other similar materials collected by the NDL.
Manuscripts and Images Includes documents, correspondence, nishiki-e, posters, single-sheet music scores, etc.
 

Collections

Some library materials are organized as collections.


Table4 Collections
Ashihara Collection Collection of the late Eiryo Ashihara, famous researcher of performing arts including ballet, chanson, and circuses.
> Research Navi: Eiryo Ashihara Collection
Materials on the Allied Occupation of Japan Collection of library materials related to the Allied Occupation of Japan.
> Research Navi: 「日本占領関係資料」の検索・複写申し込みガイド (in Japanese)
Modern Japanese Political History Materials Collection of library materials available in the Modern Japanese Political History Materials Room, which originally belonged to political leaders, senior civil servants and military officers. Some of these materials have been used in the NDL's digital exhibitions. Individual collections are named after their former owners.
> Research Navi:「「憲政資料」の検索・複写申込ガイド」 (in Japanese)
Prange Collection During the occupation period after World War II, Japanese publications were censored by the Allied Forces. The Gordon W. Prange Collection consists of newspapers, magazines and books submitted to the Allied Powers for censorship, and the originals are now preserved at the University of Maryland in the U.S.A. The NDL now holds some books and magazines from this collection.
> Research Navi: Gordon W. Prange Collection (in Japanese)
Materials on Japanese Emigration Collection of books and periodicals published in North, Central and South American countries, private papers in original and in microfilm, and government documents in microfilm related to Japanese emigration.
> Research Navi: Finding Aids for Materials on Japanese emigration (in Japanese)
Historical Recordings The Historical Recordings Collection comprises digital audio of music, speeches, and other sound recording originally issued on 78-rpm records and metal discs produced in Japan during the first half of the 20th century. The original recordings were digitized by the Historical Records Archive Promotion Conference (HiRAC).
Recordings that are still subject to copyright protection are available only on the premises at the NDL or its partner libraries. Recordings for which copyright has expired are available via the Internet.
> List of participating libraries
> Historical Recordings Collection special website (Rekion)
Scientific Films This collection includes materials produced between the 1950s and the 1990s, which were collected and digitized by the Society for the Support of the Science Film Museum (Incorporated NPO).
Dramatic Scripts This collection includes TV and radio scripts written before 1980 which were donated to the NDL by the Consortium for the Promotion of Broadcast Script Archives in Japan. Part of the collection has been digitized and made available via the Internet.
> Research Navi: 日本脚本アーカイブズ推進コンソーシアム寄贈の放送脚本 (in Japanese)
Music Manuscripts This collection has been partly digitized from music manuscripts and documents collected by the NDL.
> Research Navi: 手稿譜及びその関連資料 (in Japanese)
Materials for Persons with Disabilities This collection includes materials for persons with print disabilities, and includes electronic resources such as DAISY, audio materials on tape, braille materials, and large print materials.
* Please use NDL Search to find materials from the National Union Catalog of Braille & Recorded Books in Japan and Data Transmission Service for Persons with Print Disabilities.