Materials
This page introduces acquisition and preservation of resources of the ILCL.
Acquisition and Preservation of Resources
Domestic resources
As a dedicated children's library that forms part of the National Diet Library (NDL), the ILCL maintains a comprehensive collection of children's books (defined as materials intended primarily for users aged up to 18 years) published in Japan, based on the legal deposit system, under which publishers are required by law to furnish a copy of every new publication to the NDL. Since FY 2002, the ILCL has also collected school textbooks. Materials are also digitized for purposes of preservation and storage.
Foreign resources
The ILCL houses children's books and related resources which it acquires from about 160 countries and regions through purchases, international exchanges, and donations.
ILCL Collection Statistics
| Japanese books (volumes) | 343,008 |
|---|---|
| Foreign books (volumes) | 129,736 |
| Japanese magazines (titles) | 1,915 |
| Foreign magazines (titles) | 192 |
(as of March 31, 2023)