The main branch of Tsukuba Public Library is located in the Tsukuba Culture Center in the Azuma area of the city. In addition to this main library, there are also branches at the Kukizaki Community Centre, Onogawa Community Centre, Tsukuba Community Centre, and Yatabe Community Centre, and Bookmobiles that visit 48 locations within the city. We hope to offer optimum library service to the entire population of Tsukuba City.
Tsukuba Central Public Library
<Audio-visual Library Council>
If you would like to use audio and visual materials such as microfilms, please make a reservation at Audio-visual Library Council by phone.
Once you arrive at the library, proceed to 2nd floor. At the receprion desk for Audio-visual Library Council, please fill in an application form. Once the form is completed, you can borrow audio and/or visual materials.
The maximum number of materials you can borrow is 5 items or less and lending period is maximum of 7 days.
When you return the materials, please hand in the application form as well.
Note:
If material is damaged or tape breke away, please DO NOT USE ANY TYPE OF TAPE TO FIX IT! It may damage the materials beyond repair. Simply bring it to the reception desk, tell the office staff and indicate the damaged section.
Hour of Operation:
Tuesday to Friday 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Saturday and Sunday 9:30 am to 5:00 pm
Kukizaki Community Centre Librar
Onogawa Community Centre Library
Tsukuba Community Centre Library
Yatabe Community Centre Library
If you come to the library by car, please do not park on the side of the road by the library. Park in either South 2 or Noth 2 parking lot. Bring your parking ticket to the main counter to have it stamped for one-hour free pass. If you don't bring the ticket, you will not be able to have it stamped. People who are attending meetings in the meeting rooms or Ars Hall are no longer able to have their parking tickets stamped. There are a few parking spaces closer to the library for people with physical disabilities.
If you come to the library by bicycle, please use south, east or west bicycle parking lot for your convenience. Please do not park on the pedestrian path. If you parked your bicycle at south bicycle parking lot, the library will provide the ticket which can be used at exit fare machine when you leave the bicycle parking lot. Both East and west bicycle parking lot are free for first 2 hours.
Eating, drinking, and smoking are prohibited in the library at any time.
The books on the library shelves are arranged in a particular order to help you find them easily. If you take a book off the library shelf, be sure to return it to its proper place on the shelf. If you fail to do this, the book may not be located by the next person who is searching for it. If you are not sure exactly where the book should go, please place it on the "returns" counter.
If you live, work, or go to school in Tsukuba and will be here for more than three months, you are eligible for a library card (valid for three years). To apply for a card, bring ID that confirms your name and address to the central library, any of the four branches, or the bookmobile. Library cards can be used at all branches of the library and with the bookmobile.
Materials are organized according to the Nippon Decimal Classification (NDC) system. You can search for materials on the computers or you can browse the shelves.
If you are unable to find what you are looking for, write down the name, author, or subject and ask a member of the library staff to help you. If the material is on loan to someone else, you may put the item on reserve. The library will notify you when the item is returned to the library. If the item is not available in the library, you can request an Inter-Library Loan (ILL) or you can request that the library acquire the item.
It is now possible to print out your search results at the library. If you are looking for a book that is in storage (as many of the English literature classics are) or in circulation on the bookmobiles, print out the page of your search results, write your name on it, and hand it to one of the staff members.
Are you interested in seeing what textbooks (kyoukasho) are being used in Tsukuba's public elementary schools and junior high schools? If so, you can find them at the library. They are near the foreign books, in a section called chiiki shiryou corner. Ask a staff member to direct you to them.
Books in languages other than Japanese are located in the northeast corner of the first floor (on the left-hand side, just as you walk in the front door). Books written in languages other than Japanese or English are identified by a coloured sticker on their spines: Chinese (orange), Korean (pink), German (green), French (yellow), Portuguese (dark blue, round), Russian (light blue), Spanish (dark blue, square), Italian (red), Other (gold).
The following non-Japanese newspapers are available: Asahi Evening News, Daily Yomiuri, Japan Times, New York Times, Student Times.
You can reserve books that have been checked out by using the computers located in the library or by using your own cellphone (register for a password).
The borrowing period can be extended for two more weeks if you inquire at the circulation desk before the original two-week period is up. If someone else has placed an item on reserve, you may not extend the original borrowing period. Books and magazines can be returned to the main circulation desk or placed in the drop box if the library is closed. (Do not put AV materials in the drop box.)
Cannot be borrowed.
There are about 6400 video tapes, 3300 CDs, and 1000 cassette tapes. The borrowing period cannot be extended. When returning AV materials, rewind tapes and return them directly to the AV circulation desk (to the left of the entrance). Do not put them in the drop box. There are viewing booths, video and cassette desks, and headphones available in the library. There are some materials that can't be lent out (for copyright reasons), but can be used at one of the 4 AV booths at the library. (If you borrow videos, please don't forget to rewind them!) Until now a double CD has counted as 2 CDs, whereas from now on, a double CD will count as one. Books can be returned to the main counter when the library is open or to the bookpost box in the main entrance when the library is closed. Please do not return audio-visual materials through the bookpost as they may get damaged.
Are you interested in seeing what textbooks (kyoukasho) are being used in Tsukuba's public elementary schools and junior high schools? If so, you can find them at the library. They are near the foreign books, in a section called "chiiki shiryou corner". Ask a staff member to direct you to them.
Registered groups can take either 300 books for 3 months (long term loan) or 40 books for 1 week (short term loan) and 5 AV items for 1 week.
If you are leaving Tsukuba, please be sure to return all library books. Many people leave Tsukuba in Feburary and March and a great number of library books and AV materials disappear with them. Please remember to return the books as they are a valuable resource to the people of the city.
Four newspaper databases are available at the library: Asahi Shinbun, Ibaraki Shinbun, AERA, and Shuukan Asahi. If you want to use the databases, please ask at the reference desk.
Please notify the library of any changes of address. Also, if you are planning to leave Tsukuba, please remember to return your library items. Books can be returned by the bookpost slot when the library is closed, but AV materials (CDs, storytelling boards) must be handed in at the circulation counter. If you keep materials past the due date, the library will call or send a notification slip. Due to privacy concerns, the titles of the books borrowed will not be divulged to anyone but the borrower.
The library now has a colour copier. Colour copies of all sizes are 100 yen. Black and white copies are still 10 yen. If you want to copy something, please read the instructions and fill out the form at the circulation desk.
If you notice that a library book has been ripped or otherwise damaged, please let the library staff know. Do not attempt to repair the book yourself. Library books are repaired by a group of trained volunteers who use the right kind of tools and materials to repair and preserve the books. Using inappropriate materials, such as tape or glue, to repair the books does more damage.
The desks in the reference area in Tsukuba Public Library are now for the use of adults only (not students). Also, the use of these desks will be subject to an application system on Saturdays and Sundays and use will be limited to 2 hours. Please pick up a number at the circulation desk to apply for the desks.
The chairs by the windows at Tsukuba Public Library are very popular during the summer, so they are subject to an application from July 21 to August 31. Use is divided into morning (9:30am-1pm) and afternoon (1:30pm-4:30pm) periods. Application can only be done on the day of use. Tickets for seats in the afternoon period can be picked up from the circulation counter from 12noon. It is not possible to use these seats for two consecutive periods. During this summer period, students may use the meeting room on the second floor of the library for studying between 9am and 5pm (when the library is open), no reservation necessary.
There are a few publicly accessible computers on the south side of the circulation desk. Sign up for a session on the application sheet.
The library has updated its website and is now using this address: http://www.city.tsukuba.ibaraki.jp/lib/. It is now possible to use this site to reserve books, check your borrowing record, ask questions about the library's collection, and make requests for book purchases. In order to access these services, you will need a library card and a password. In order to obtain your password, please bring your library card and some ID to the main library or one of the four kominkan branches. (This service is available for people of JHS age and older.)
There is children's services desk open on Saturdays and Sundays.
There is a collection of multilingual materials on the left hand side, just as you walk in the front door to the library.
Volunteer interpreters are available with advance notice. If you need translation services, please ask us in advance so we can contact a volunteer. English volunteers are sometimes in the library on Saturdays and Sundays.
Library materials can be copied if they fall under the appropriate conditions of the Copyright Act. Copies cost 10 yen per page.
Microfilms of the Asahi Evening News (May 1989 to present) can be copied for 10 yen per page.
Bookmobiles visit 48 locations in Tsukuba such as schools and hospitals. Materials borrowed from the central library or branches can be returned to the bookmobile.
The library has many rooms available for public use. However, for-profit events may not be held in these rooms.
Groups who are using the library for social education or other non-profit reasons can use the 16mm film projector, 16mm film (450 films), screens (4) and blackout curtains (12) for free. Rental period is 5 days.
The public library is putting the call out for volunteers from a wide range of ages. These one-year positions start in April and continue until Mar. 31, 2007 with the possibility of reappointment. Volunteers are expected to work during normal library operating hours.
Some of duties include assisting with storytelling, circulation, publication repair, audio recordings, assisting with catalog selections, and clipping newspapers articles. The library is also interested in recruiting international volunteers, particularly those fluent in Chinese, English, or Korean. Applications available at most local government reception desks and online. Deadline is Jan. 31. Apply in-person, by FAX or mail. Current volunteers are encouraged to reapply. Volunteers do not receive any financial compensation.
If you can communicate in Japanese, perhaps you would like to join the library board that oversees Tsukuba Public Library for a two-year term. Any person living in the city and over 20 years of age can apply. You can download the application form from the library's website. You will be asked to explain (in Japanese) in about 600 characters why you would like to serve on the board. Applications must be submitted by a certain date.
Every year, the library has to get rid of some books and magazines to make room on the shelves for new items. The library gives these books away to local residents for free at a certain time every year.
For 2010, the recycling day is not posted by the library as of June, 2010.
Relevant for: Tourists, Newcomers, Residents
Please note: While all efforts have been made to offer accurate and up-to-date information on this site, the information is presented as a guideline and is subject to change without notification. Phone numbers, addresses, and/or policies may have changed since this page was created. Please contact the appropriate section of the City Hall for confirmation of information and city policies.