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Pollak Library

John Hickok 2022-23 international library visits: January

TAIWAN: NATIONAL TAIWAN UNIVERSITY

1. Visiting NTU's main library.  Top left: exterior entrance of the library (classical brick style, similar to UCLA's Powell Library). Top right: QR codes posted around the library, which initiate a video tour of the library; very cool!  Bottom left: meeting with NTU Library leaders to discuss common best practices and exchange gifts (NTU & the CSU have an exchange partnership).  Bottom right: in the book stacks!  NTU uses Dewey for their collection.

John in front of National Taiwan University library National Taiwan University LIbrary QR code video tour on the wall

John with library staff at National Taiwan University library John next to Dewey Decimal sign on library shelf

2. Visiting NTU's Social Sciences Library.  NTU's social sciences library is the Koo Chen-Fu Memorial Library, a 10-minute walk from the main library.  This library is beautiful, with an amazing "forest of trees" architecture inside.  Top Left: the library's interior, with the white, palm tree-like columns.  Top right: next to a floor map of the library (excellent map, prominently visible at the entrance).  Bottom left: innovative furniture in the library (reminds me of a Mobius Strip!)  Bottom right: discussing library outreach ideas with Linda Tung, director of the NTU Social Sciences Library. In the insert photo, you will see a shark mascot on the library's book return bin; she places the shark in various locations in a "Where's Waldo?" type outreach innovation.  Fun!

Interior of National Taiwan University's Social Sciences Library   John next to floor map of the NTU Social Sciences Library

furniture inside the NTU social sciences library   John with library director of the NTU social sciences library

3. Meeting with NTU's International Office.  Left: with officers of NTU's International office, discussing ideas for improving student exchanges in both directions: Wendy Chen, Charlotte Chou, & Cyril Chen.  Right: at the international office's "video wall" entrance.

John with officers of the NTU International Office  John at the entrance of the NTU International Office

TAIWAN: NATIONAL TAIWAN NORMAL UNIVERSITY

Visiting National Taiwan Normal University Library.  "Normal" universities are the historical designation for teacher-preparation universities, but today NTNU is a comprehensive university for all disciplines.  Top left: at the entrance of the NTNU Library.  Top right: with Ms. Tze-Ling Chang, Division Head, Reference & Outreach Services,  Bottom left: the beautiful, modern interior of the library.  Bottom right: new, glass-walled group study rooms.

John at entrance of National Taiwan Normal University library  John with librarian at NTNU library, Taiwan

Interior of NTNU Library, Taiwan  Interior of NTNU Library, Taiwan

TAIWAN: NATIONAL CENTRAL LIBRARY

1. Visiting the National Central Library.  Taiwan's equivalent of a national library is its National Central Library.  It is a huge library, with an enormous collection.  But it is not just archival; it is is very welcoming to the public, with many outreach services. Top left: outside the main entrance. Top right: inside the beautiful interior.  Bottom left: the floor directory of the library (well designed!)  Bottom right: a time-machine "then-and-now" photo!  Meeting Dr. Shu-hsien Tseng in 2006 (then the director of the Taipei Public Library), and again now, in 2023, now director of the National Central Library.

John in front of National Central Library, Taiwan      John inside interior of Taiwan's National Central Library

John next to floor directory of Taiwan's National Central Library      John with director of Taiwan's National Central Library

2. Visiting the NCL's Open Lab Multimedia Center.  Last year, the National Central Library opened an extension library, dedicated to makerspaces and multimedia. It is an amazing innovation center, all for the public, with sewing/woodworking/3D printing centers, music rehearsal studios, video production labs, green-screen film studios, and a vast collection of Manga, Anime, DVDs, and more.

John at the entrance of the NCL's Open Lab Library John in the NCL's Open Lab "Green Screen" studio

John in the NCL's Open Lab Library music studio the NCL's Open Lab Library makerspace center a child in the NCL's makerspace center, with Legos

TAIWAN: TAIPEI PUBLIC LIBRARY

Visiting the Taipei Public Library.  The Taipei Public Library is a leader in technological innovation!  Top left: at the front entrance with one of the TPL's Librarians (resuming our pose from 2014, ha ha!)  Top right: technology in the children's section--a self checkout "bee", and book sanitizer.  Bottom left: screen of the library's study carrel reservation system.  Bottom right: the library's vending machine of popular books--open 24/7 at the library's entrance.

John outside the Taipei Public Library John inside the Taipei Public Library, children's section

Taipei Public LIbrary's study booth reservation screen  the Taipei Public Library's book vending machine, outside its front entrance

JAPAN: SEIJO UNIVERSITY

Visiting the Seijo University Library and International Office.  Left: entrance of the Library. Right: the Reference collection (still very traditional: lots of encyclopedias and reference books).

Exterior of Seijo University Library  Inside Seijo University Library, Reference collection  

Left: large maps of each floor, in plexiglass floor stands, right outside the elevator (very cool!  This is very user-friendly, showing students exactly where everything is the moment they exit the elevator)  Right: meeting the library director, Mr. Ippei Kato.

Floor directory at Seijo University Library  John with library director of Seijo University Library  

Left: an innovative promotional tactic: referring users to the first floor Reference Desk using the elevator lights.  Terrific idea!  Right: meeting with officers of Seijo University's International Office: Mr. Yoji Kaneda and Ms. Yoshiko Maeda.  Seijo and CSUF have an exchange partnership, so you'll notice the bright orange CSUF pennants on the wall (two of them!)

Close up of Reference promotion sign, on the Seijo University Library elevator  John with staff of Seijo University International Office

JAPAN: WASEDA UNIVERSITY

Visiting the Waseda University Library and International Office.   Left: outside the entrance of Waseda's Main Library.  Center: inside the library, with window-facing, electrical plug-equipped, recliner chairs (very cool).  Right: promotional signs for their library workshops and "Ask A Librarian" service.

John outside Waseda University Library Interior of Waseda University LIbrary Waseda University Library sign promoting librarians

Left: the Library's "Learning Assistant" Desk.  This is the same idea as the CSUF Library south Information Desk: students trained as triage for basic questions. Center: a promotional poster for the LA Desk; they add a unique innovation: advertising the majors of the LA's, so they can give special help to students of the same major at their shift times.  Right: the Nippon Decimal Classification (NDC), Japan's version of Dewey.

Waseda University Library's "Learning Assistant Desk" Waseda University Library poster promoting the Learning Assistant Desk John in Waseda University Library next to a Nippon Decimal Classification sign

Left: wall posters of a self-guided video tour of the library, on students' cell phones, with "stamps" they receive for each segment--similar to the CSUF Library "passport stamp" orientation.  Right: meeting with officers of the Waseda University International Office to discuss library training for international students: Mr. Shunsuke Mizuno and Ms. Lu Gan (Waseda and the CSU system have an international partnership for exchanges)

Waseda University Library poster of self-guided tour John with officials at Waseda University's International Office

JAPAN: TOKYO PUBLIC LIBRARY

Visiting the Tokyo Public LibraryTop left: outside the main entrance.  Top right: enjoying their Manga collection!   Bottom left: collecting lots of great brochures.  Bottom right: a screenshot of the library's website, featuring Librarian Chat service.

John outside the Tokyo Public LIbrary John inside the Tokyo Public Library

John with brochures at Tokyo Public Library       screenshot of Tokyo Public Library website