Tokyo Metropolitan Central Library

The predecessor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Central Library was the Tokyo Municipal Hibiya Library, which was first opened to the public in 1908. The Tokyo Metropolitan Central Library was established in 1973 as the main Tokyo Metropolitan Library.

As of March 2011, the Tokyo Metropolitan Central Library has more than 1.8 million books, over 6,000 titles of magazines and journals, in addition to various audio-visual materials, and rare materials (including Ukiyo-e and architectural drawings of Edo Castle). The Central Library has one of preeminent collections of foreign language materials among all of the public libraries in Metropolitan Tokyo. This collection accounts for approximately one-tenth of the total stock of 1.71 million volumes housed in the Central Library.

Well-known as a research library, the Tokyo Metropolitan Central Library has expert staff who are capable of providing reference and information services to the public. Providing  1000 seats, as well as access to wireless LAN and online databases, the Central Library is a quiet place where you can feel like you are in your own private study.

Calendar

Central Library Calendar

Floor Guide

Central Library Floor Guide

How to Use the Materials

Open-shelf materials

With regard to books, of its total stock of approximately 1.8 million volumes, the Central Library has around 350,000 volumes that are freely accessible on open shelves.

Some of the magazines and journals in fields related to business, law, health and medical, as well as those related to cities and to Tokyo are also freely accessible on open shelves.

Newspapers for the last three months, including the current month, and some of the reduced-size editions of newspapers are freely accessible on open shelves. These materials may be taken to any floor for reading.

Closed-stack materials

With regard to books, of its total stock of approximately 1.8 million volumes, the Central Library has around 1.45 million volumes in closed stacks. Users of the Library are not allowed inside the closed stacks.

To view books from the closed stack, please search the online catalog to find the ones you want, then put in a request to view them. The request can be placed from the personal computers in the Library that have been set up to access the online catalog.

Requests to view newspapers, and magazines and journals, can be made by searching the online catalog and printing the “Request form for materials” with necessary information or by writing the necessary information in the “Request form for materials” provided in Library. Submit the “Request form for materials” at the Book Counter. Once the requested material has been located and is ready for viewing, you will be notified by means of your reader’s card identification number being displayed on the electronic bulletin boards located on each floor of the Library. When you see that your number has been displayed, go to the Book Counter on the first floor of the Library. Once you have finished viewing the materials, please return them to the same Book Counter.

Photoduplication Services

hotocopying services are available only for the materials of the Library’s collections.
All photocopying is subject to copyright law and other restrictions.