Purposes
The two libraries play a significant role in providing information, which contributes to art education and research for students and faculty. Key activities include collecting and preserving materials in the fields of art, design and other related genres and establishing an index database of all collected items. In addition, the staff makes every effort to provide an excellent reference service, gathering new knowledge and the latest information. Since the new library was opened in 2007, we aim to fulfill its function and maintain a “creative library” acting as an information database and an information dissemination office.
Hachioji Library
Ito Toyo, who is one of the leading architects in Japan, designed
the Hachioji Library. Regarding the design of this newly opened
library, the entire first floor slopes gently from the front entrance.
Its exterior glass walls and large arches allow the contours of
the natural environment surrounding the campus to extend into the
interior creating an exhilaratingly open space.
The first floor features an all-purpose and gallery space available
to hold various events and exhibitions as well as a theater area
with a big screen. At the back of the first floor, students are
able to read the latest magazine issues and view video materials.
On the second floor, there are open access stacks holding about
100,000 books as well as private reading seats and photocopying
machines.
The Hachioji Library contains about 77,000 Japanese books, 47,000
foreign books and 1,500 periodicals. A large collection of books
covers the special fields of art, design and architecture, ranging
from reference books necessary for the university's classes to
specialized research materials. In order to enhance its collection,
we are collecting catalogues of overseas exhibitions and catalogue
raisonnes.
Kaminoge Library
The Kaminoge Library aims to collect a wide range of reference books and materials in the fields of photography, film and theater arts. The library contains about 48,000 Japanese and foreign books and 300 periodicals. It also owns the collections of the late Shuzo Takiguchi (1903-1979) and the late Katsue Kitazono (1902-1978), both known as poets, art critics and fine artists. The Takiguchi collection contains about 10,000 publications, posters and works related to Dadaism and Surrealism. The Kitazono collection contains his published poems and edited magazines titled “VOU” as well as handwritten manuscripts and haiku notes. Both collections are of great value to researchers of modern and contemporary art.
We are planning to open the library to the public in the near
future in order to relate closely to the local community. Now its
inventory can be freely accessed by OPAC (online public access
catalog) and partial contents of the Takiguchi and Kitazono collections
is available on the Internet.