Library Services for AIU Members
A variety of services are available at the AIU library. The followings are the examples of such services:
AIU Library Online Catalog (OPAC)
AIU Library Online Catalog allows users to find a book, DVD, Video, CD in the AIU Library.
Database Services
Except where otherwise noted, these services are available from any connected computer on the AIU campus.
ProQuest
ProQuest is an extensive, online general reference database that provides academic libraries with instant access to high-quality journals covering a broad range of subject areas from 1971 right up to the present day.
Download: ProQuest Quick Reference Guide
FirstSearch
FirstSearch is an online service that gives end users access to a rich collection of reference materials. At the heart of FirstSearch is WorldCat, the world’s most comprehensive bibliographic database.
ORO
Oxford Reference Online brings together language and subject reference works from one of the world's biggest reference publishers into a single cross-searchable resource.
NIKKEI.com
Nikkei. Com Interactive delivers comprehensive business news, market data and the latest stock information from Tokyo to your desktop, with the backing of Japan’s leading financial news group, Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Inc.
Nikkei Telecom 21
Nikkei Telecom 21 distributes approximately 500 Nikkei /DJ Japan Reports, and the most recent news flashes in English on a daily basis. News pieces are updated on an almost-real-time basis.
CiNii
The Citation Information by NII (National Institute of Informatics) provides academic periodicals, mainly focused on Japanese language papers. Academic articles searching is free to all users; however, access to the text of some academic articles is subject to charges. (For AIU member use only through the INTRA TOP page)
JSTOR
JSTOR offers a high-quality, interdisciplinary archive to support scholarship and teaching. It includes archives of over one thousand leading academic journals across the humanities, social sciences, and sciences, as well as select monographs and other materials valuable for academic work. The entire corpus is full-text searchable, offers search term highlighting, includes high-quality images, and is interlinked by millions of citations and references.
NEEDS-Financial QUEST
NEEDS-Financial QUEST gives details of corporate attributes including listing status, accounting period, address, telephone number or name of representative. Historical data allows users to track changes, such as its exchange membership, or its listing within an index. Data is immediately updated in response to announcements by companies of forthcoming changes. (Currently one terminal at the library is exclusively used for NEEDS-Financial QUEST service.)
Britannica Online Japan
Britannica Online Japan delivers fast and easy access to high-quality, comprehensive information. The rich combination of the insightful Encyclopedia Britannica plus Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary and Thesaurus, magazines and periodicals, and many other research tools provides the variety of reliable sources that students need to consult when conducting thorough research—all from one database.
Info Trac Custom
InfoTrac Custom provides instant access to a large number of social science journals by Thomson Gale. We have an access to 250 titles.
Download: Info Trac Custom Guide
LexisNexis Academic
Information search service provided by LexisNexis. This service provides access to full-text news from newspapers and magazines throughout the world, business, and legal publications, using a variety of flexible search options.
Kikuzo II Visual for Libraries (Asahi Shimbun online article search 1945-Current)
This service provides articles printed in the Asahi Shimbun newspaper from 1945 to the current day. "Kikuzo II Visual" is one of the largest on-line newspaper database in Japan, containing over 8，000，000 articles. (As of January，2009)
It is based on the final edition published by the Tokyo Head Office, as well as local editions published in prefectural capitals (excluding Okinawa). Searches can also be made from "AERA," "Weekly Asahi" and "Chiezo."
This service is available from the terminal in the AIU Library, online database service section.
User Manual: How to use Kikuzo II Visual
Reference Service
Librarians are able to provide all users with assistance in using AIU library resources, including databases, for their effective study and research. They also offer help in finding materials or information on the location of books from outside the AIU library. Basic information services which include how to find and obtain books and articles and how to conduct OPAC searches are also available.
You can also benefit from a one-on-one session with a librarian:
- Find out what resources are available in the library.
- Introduce users to effective use of reference materials.
- Learn how to search the catalogs and other resources located at other universities, both local and international, as well as at the National Diet Library.
- Request obscure material via InterLibrary Loan (ILL).
*ILL Service is for AIU members only. - Use of Databases/CD-ROMs.
- Learn how to use the web effectively for research.
- Search for resources from newspapers, magazines, and academic papers.
Inter-Library Loan (ILL)
Interlibrary Loan (ILL) borrows material from other university and institutional libraries that currently is not available in the Akita International University Library.
Types of ILL services:
(1) Photocopy Request: For when you would like to read part of books or journals.
(2) Loan Request: For when you would like to read a whole book. Journals are not included.
(1) Photocopy Request
How to apply
Fill out the application form and give it to a library staff member. Please include the following information:- Title of the article, Author
- Title of the journal, Publication year, Volume
- Pages you need
- ISSN or ISBN
Costs and Shipping
- Costs: 35 yen- 70 yen per page and shipping/mailing fee
- Delivery time: 3-4 days
- Handling fee may be necessary
Note
You cannot request photocopying for the following items:
- Those which are extremely old ( before 1945 )
- Latest issue of a journal (Japanese copyright law does not permit this)
- Online journals (cannot usually be requested according to the contract with publisher)
Copy of a dissertation:
- You may need the permission of the author. Please ask a library staff member.
Copy of the bulletin of an institution:
- Cinii (NII Scholarly and Academic Information Navigator) offers some articles for free.
We recommend you to search within Cinii beforehand.
(2) Loan Request
How to apply
Fill out the application form and give it to a library staff member. Please include the following information:
- Title of the material
- Author
- Publication year
- Publisher
- ISBN
Costs and Shipping
- From Akita Prefectural Library (http://www.apl.pref.akita.jp/english/webcatalog.html)
Costs: Free
Delivery Time: 3-4 days
- From another university or institutional library (handling fee may be necessary)
Costs: Shipping and Mailing fee (go and from)
Delivery time: 3-4 days
Note
You may not be able to request the following items:
- Those which are extremely old (before 1945)
- Journals
- Reference books
- Audio-Visual materials and CD-ROM
Materials borrowed from other libraries:
- Loan Period: Average 1-2 weeks
Photocopying can be done within the limits of the Copyright law. Please fill out the application form.
Course Reserve Information
For Students
Course Reserve are materials an instructor has put on reserve for use by students enrolled in a current class. Those materials may be books, VHS, CDs, DVDs, test files, lecture notes, or solution files created by the instructor. The items may be part of the library materials or from a faculty's personal materials. Reserve items are placed on the Course Reserve Shelves, which Library staff access for you.
* Fill out a form (available at the Reference Desk) and give it to a library staff member with your ID card. He/she will retrieve the item for you. Provide both instructor's name and the title of item.
* Most of reserved items are for library use only, and the loan periods are 1-hour, 2-hour, 3-hour, or 1-day. These items need to be returned 30 minutes before the library Reference Desk closes.
* Reserved materials must be returned to the Reference Desk. Do not return them to the regular book drop.
For Faculty
The purpose of the Course Reserve service is to make materials available to students. They are usually assigned reading materials by faculty for current courses, but may also include supplemental or suggested materials that enrich course offerings. The items may be part of the library materials or from a faculty member's perfonal materials, yet some materials which violate the Japanese copyright lawy may not be acceptable.
- All reserved materials are placed on the Course Reserve shelves in the next room to the Reference Desk.
- Submit reserve materials with a completed Course Reserve List Form (PDF) and a schedule of readings.
- At the end of each semester, reserved materials shall be taken back or returned to the faculty or appropriate shelves.
- Acceptable materials: books, VHS, CDs, DVDs, test files, lecture notes, or solution files created by the instructor.
- In general, loan periods are 1-hour, 2-hour, 3-hour, or 1-day.
- The material may be marked for reserve identification.
Request Materials
For Faculty
Procedures:
- Faculty members fill out the book request form, indicating one of the “A” “B” “C” categories for each title. (A: Most Important, B: Necessary, C: Preferable)
- Submit request lists to each library committee member.
- The Director reviews the requests to check if they meet with AIU’s collection guidelines.
- The Library committee member files the purchasing list to the library by the 1st day of every month.
- The library staff files the purchasing lists according to priority.
- The Library Committee checks and approves the lists.
- The Library Orders listed books and materials.
Notes:
- It will take 3-4 months for the library to purchase requested materials.
- Urgently required materials may be requested each time to increase their priority.
Textbooks:
The library purchases two sets of textbooks, one for display and one for archival purposes. Most texts are ordered through the AIU bookstore. If you do not wish to use the AIU bookstore, please contact the library two months in advance of the start of the semester.
For Students and Staff
Fill out the book request form and submit it to the library.
User Support Services and Workshops
For Students
The library offers workshops on library research methods and databases, the workshops explain how to find and obtain books and articles, and how to conduct OPAC and database searches. Reservations can be made at any time at the reference desk. Please make your reservation at least 2 weeks in advance of the desired tour date.
For Faculty
The above-mentioned workshops can be offered to entire classes at once. Please contact the library to schedule a time for your class.