Yamanaka Book Depository

2017/10/10

Image: Yamanaka Book Depository Building No. 2

Speaking of Lake Yamanaka, some may think of the Athletic Association's summer training camps. There are two buildings, one large and one small, on a site slightly away from the Yamanaka Mountain Villa used as a training camp facility. This is the Yamanaka Book Depository, which houses materials from the Gijuku's collection that are used less frequently but have been designated for preservation as intellectual assets.

While the Gijuku's libraries boast one of the largest collections in Japan, the shortage of stacks to house the ever-increasing volume of materials has been a long-standing challenge. When the new building opened in Mita in 1982, it was thought that there would be plenty of shelf space. However, due to donations of collections such as the Toyama Music Collection and purchases made with grants, the stacks quickly became full, and in 1990, materials from Mita were moved to the former site of the Shiki High School dormitory. The shortage of stacks was serious not only in Mita but elsewhere, and work was constantly being done to secure space for materials on each campus and move them accordingly. The library continued to apply to the Jukukan-kyoku (Keio Corporate Administration) for the construction of a new depository, and in March 1994, a facility capable of housing 500,000 volumes was finally realized on the shores of Lake Yamanaka. This is the Yamanaka Book Depository Building No. 1.

Although Building No. 1 was completed, selecting the materials to be moved there was a difficult task. Due to the remote location, there was significant opposition from faculty members who believed that research materials should always be available in a place where they could be accessed immediately. The library responded by establishing a service system where materials requested by fax would be delivered via courier by the day after the next opening day, and photocopies would be sent by fax by the next opening day, but dissatisfaction remained.

A few years after the completion of Building No. 1, the shortage of stacks became serious again. Initially, there were plans to build up to four buildings on the shores of Lake Yamanaka. However, taking into account the significant dissatisfaction regarding the transfer of materials to Building No. 1, the university decided to rent a warehouse from a transport company along the Toyoko Line that could be visited in person. This facility, called the "Hakuraku Satellite Library" (hereinafter "Hakuraku"), began operations in 1999. However, in 2013, redevelopment plans emerged, and it was decided to vacate Hakuraku. Discussions were held within the university regarding whether to rent another location or build a new depository. Considering the changing times—where many academic journals and books are now available online and sending materials to remote locations does not affect research as much as before—it was decided to build the Yamanaka Book Depository Building No. 2. This facility would house the 500,000 volumes from Hakuraku plus an additional 1 million volumes in anticipation of future growth. It was completed in September 2016.

For the construction of Building No. 2, the shelves used at Hakuraku were reused to keep costs down. The disassembly, transportation, and reassembly of the stacks, along with the movement of materials, was a complex operation that took two months.

Although the Yamanaka Book Depository is generally not open to visitors, it continues to protect important materials in an ideal environment that maintains the optimal temperature and humidity for the collection.

(Kazuko Matsumoto, Manager, Media Center Head Office)