Keio University to partner with Google, Inc. for digitalization and release of its library collection to the world For “Formation of Knowledge of the digital era”

To celebrate its 150th Anniversary Project in 2008, Keio University sealed partnership with Google Book Search Library Project for digitalization and release of its library collection. For this purpose, Keio University signed an agreement with Google and press conference was held on 6 July 2007.
The Library Project, with the objective of digitalizing library collections of major libraries of the world, already has partnerships with 25 organizations including the University of Michigan, Harvard University, Stanford University, and the University of Oxford. Keio University will be the first partner in Japan.

From its library collection, Keio University will digitalize about 120,000 books that are out of copyright and will release the information to the world via Google Book Search. The digital library will mainly consist of Japanese style books published in the Meiji Era or earlier, and Japanese books of the Meiji, Taisho, and early Showa Era. This includes many books written by Yukichi Fukuzawa . Books related to Keio University will be digitalized in advance, and the information will be released from time to time.

Keio University is now initiating a hybrid library service to fulfill the needs of both analog and digital users of the library, and the partnership will help accelerate this project. In addition, it will promote Keio's project entitled "Formation of Knowledge of the digital era"(*) by digitalizing various analog information within the campus, including academic information, technical information, and library collection.

(*)
Keio University has been implementing the "Formation of Knowledge of the Digital era." The actual activities include digitalizing various academic information available within the university and promoting release and circulation of the information to the global society.

To name some examples:

• Keio University was one of the first universities to digitalize rare books such as the Gutenberg Bible and to release the information in 1996 under HUMI Project.
• The Research Institute for Digital Media and Content (DMC) is establishing a digital contents sharing system to connect all campuses and overseas offices of Keio University.
• Keio Opencourseware provides advanced educational material on the internet free of charge.
• Keio University hosts the School on the Internet Asia, network of distance education.
• Keio University Shonan Fujisawa Campus implements the project of SFC Global Campus, which provides joint lectures with partner institutions around the world using satellite internet to exchange university lectures.

These activities not only overcome geographic and temporal limitations of people in need of the information, but also enable to promote and support formation of "knowledge" globally, by combining knowledge assets of historical value and leading-edge research developments.