Library and Information Science

The main aim of this paper is to report on the background of Tokyo Institute of Technology Library and to outline its new building program, but it also deals with administrative problems related to the new building.

Tokyo Institute of Technology, founded in 1881 as Tokyo Vocational School has developed along with Japan's industrial growth into a higher educational institute, and its library has been improved with its development. A remarkable increase of library materials in the collections in the recent decade brought library operations to a serious crisis. It was the reason why the administration of the Institute had decided to consider its new library, building. The Planning Committee for the New Library Building was organized in 1971, composed of the Director of the Library, his staff members, the chieves of the Financial Division, Facilities Division, and so forth of the Institute. In accordance to the building program for the library made by the Committee, the new building with the total floor area of 6,380 m2 was completed in March, 1973.

The Committee earnestly discussed such fundamental points as the purpose, functions and activities, site, structural designs of operations, interior arrangements and administrative problems of the new library. Although there remained some minor problems to be settled, the new building was constructed following the Committee's conclusions.

Upon the completion of the new library building, its administrative organization was changed to fit the modern services and mechanized systems were introduced to ensure high efficiencies in its services.