FAQ

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We recommend using the latest versions of the following browsers so that OPAC is easy to use:

Windows

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• Google Chrome

Macintosh

• Safari

Notice

These browsers do not operate normally with the following settings. Change these settings when applicable.

• Cookies setting: Disable
• Compatibility View setting: Enable (Internet Explorer)
• Referer setting: Disable

• The column width of specific items in the bibliography details holdings list narrows drastically.
• A gray line borders each bibliography in the search result list.

• Bib Search: Books and serials in our collection
• Article Search: Articles, etc. accessible domestically
• Other Univ.: Books, serials, etc. in the possession of university libraries, etc. nationwide
• Cross Search: Materials in the possession of national universities, the National Diet Library, bookstores, etc.

Switch to and use the tab appropriate to the search target and materials.
For details, see the respective tab.

• Temporarily allowing the pop-up blocker
  
  Click [Allow once] on the pop-up blocker notification bar.
  (Depending on the browser version, select "Temporarily Allow Pop-ups.")
  
  
  
  * However, with this method, if the browser is closed once, the pop-up blocker is enabled when the browser is started again. Consequently, the same work will need to be repeated to apply for a reservation or ILL in OPAC.

• Always allowing the pop-up blocker
  
  Click "Always allow" from [Options for this site] on the pop-up blocker notification bar.
  (Depending on the browser version, click the notification bar, and select "Always Allow Pop-ups from This Site.")
  
  
  

On the Japanese-language pages, you can use Kanji, Hiragana, Katakana, and alphanumeric characters. For alphanumeric characters, you can enter uppercase and lowercase characters. Single-byte and double-byte characters can both be entered.

Searches can use the original spelling (with characters as they appear in materials). Searches can also use keywords converted into Roman alphabet letters using the ALA-LC Romanization Tables of the U.S. Library of Congress. Some materials are registered in Roman alphabet letters only. An index is created for them. So if the search has no hits with the original spelling, convert the keywords into Roman alphabet letters, and perform the search again.

You can perform the following three searches by entering multiple conditions in a single search field or filling in multiple search fields (logical operation).

Entering multiple search values in one search field (enabled on the basic search screen and advanced search screen)

Entering multiple search values in multiple search fields (enabled on the advanced search screen)

Primary search items and secondary search items

The following search items are called primary search items. You can perform searches independently with their search values alone.

• Keyword
• Title
• Author
• Publisher
• Subject
• Review
• Tag
• Classification
• ISBN/ISSN
• NCID
• Bibliography ID
• Registration No.
• Material ID
• Call No.

The following search items are called secondary search items. You cannot perform a search with a secondary search item unless it is combined with at least one primary search item. The search screen displays * in front of the item names.

• Material type
• Holding library
• Publication year
• Country code
• Language code
• Location
• Material format
• Section

There are two search methods: keyword search and literal search.

1. The keyword search is a search of materials to find those containing the entered search value as a word (i.e., keyword).
   The literal search is a search of materials to find those containing the entered search value as a simple character string (i.e., literal).
   
   For the literal search, you can specify the following search methods.
   

   Search method	Description	Entry example	Example of hit
   Exact match	Retrieves the materials that have a complete match to the character string entered as a search condition.	end	end END End
   Prefix search	Retrieves the materials that have a character string matching the prefix entered as a search condition.	end*	ending
   Left/right truncation search	Retrieves the materials that have a character string matching the left/right truncation entered as a search condition.	*end*	weekends
   Suffix search	Retrieves the materials that have a character string matching the suffix entered as a search condition.	*end	weekend

   
   
   
2. Searches for the following search items are normal keyword searches. To perform a literal search with the following keyword search items, add "#" to the beginning of the search values.

   
   

   Keyword search item
   • Title
   • Author
   • Publisher
   • Subject
   • Keyword
   
   
   
3. Searches for the following search items are normal literal searches.
   
   Literal search item
   • Publication year
   • Classification
   • ISBN/ISSN
   • Country code
   • Language code
   • NCID
   • Registration No. (available only with prefix search)
   • Material ID (available only with prefix search)
   • Call No. (available only with prefix search)
   
   By using the literal search, you can set the following search conditions for the details.
   

   Search method	Entry example (Item: Search value)	Example of hit
   Searching for materials that have the keyword "Japan" in the title	Title: Japan	History of Japan Tales of Old Japan America and Japan
   Searching for materials whose title is "Japan"	Title: #Japan	Japan
   Searching for materials whose title ends with "Japan"	Title: #*Japan	America and Japan A Rebirth of Japan Japan
   Searching for materials published in the 1900s	Publication year: 19*	1945

You can perform searches with the following items on the advanced search screen.

• The △ symbol in the entry example represents one or more blank characters.
• [Local] means that the search item is enabled only for local searches. Values entered for NII searches are ignored.

By placing a "$" symbol in front of Roman characters used for search values, you can convert the Roman characters into Katakana characters to perform a search.

• Writing in the official Kana romanization system and the Hepburn system is supported.
• The Roman alphabet doesn't correspond to the long vowel character. For example, please enter "$kiwado" not "$kiwado" when you want to get the same result in the "キーワード."
• _ means a blank.

• Cross Search: CiNii Books, Google Books, and book collections of the National Diet Library and libraries outside Japan (WorldCat, British Library)
• University libraries: Neighborhood university libraries, etc.
• Public libraries: Book collections of neighborhood public libraries, etc.
• Bookstores: Book collections and bibliography data of Amazon, Junkudo Bookstore, and Books Kinokuniya
• Classic books: Classic books in university libraries and public libraries across Japan (comprehensive catalog of Japanese classic books)

• The search result list screen can display the search results of each specific search site or all sites.
• The first displayed search results belong to the search site where the search ended the earliest.
• If you want to find out the search results of another site, select it from the left menu.
• You can display a list of search results of each specific search site by clicking "Show All Sites" at the top left of the screen or clicking the site link in the results for each site on the left side of the screen.

• The number of acquired results is limited (10 to 100) depending on the site. If you want to find out all the search results of a specific site, perform the search directly from that site.
• The results of searches with [Cross Search] may differ from the direct search results of a specific search site. Use [Cross Search] mainly as a guide to determining the good sites to search for the materials you are looking for.

By selecting "Various applications" displayed for the bibliography on the search result list screen, you can make an ILL copy request (getting a copy from another library) and an ILL borrowing request (getting a book from another library).

• Reservation cancel date: The reservation is canceled when the entered date has passed.
• E-mail: From your registered e-mail addresses (PC/mobile phone), select a contact e-mail address. The library uses it to inform you when your reserved materials are available for check-out. To be contacted at a different e-mail address, fill in the "Change E-mail" field.
• Telephone number (Required input field): Type in your contact telephone number. The library uses it to inform you when your reserved materials are available for check-out. To be contacted only by e-mail and not by telephone, type in words to this effect in the "Remarks" field of "Notes."

• ILL Copy Request (getting a copy from another library)
• ILL Borrowing Request (borrowing a physical book)

1. Confirm the bibliography of your written review, and decide the number of ★(1 to 5) for an evaluation. Then, enter the review title and text, and click [Submit]. 
   You cannot use HTML tags and machine-dependent characters.
2. Confirm what you are registering. When there is no problem, click the [Submit] button. To start over with the entry, click [Edit].
   

• When your review is published, the contributor's nickname, date, section affiliation, library affiliation, and user type are posted in addition to the review title and text.
• If you want to set or change your nickname, select [OPAC] -> [Your Library Record] -> [Personal Info.]. Confirm the name displayed in the "Handle" column. 
  To correct the name, click [Personal Info.], and enter your new handle name.

• Was this review helpful?  Yes?  No?
• Report this review as inappropriate
• Write comment on this review

1. check the Kanji and spelling of keywords to see whether they are correct.
2. Are searching by "Article title" or "Article author"? Try searching by serial title.
   When you want to search by "Article title" or "Article author," try searching from the [Article Search] tab. In such cases, you may also be able to read the text of electronic journals from a personal computer.
3. If you still do not find the materials you are looking for, try searching from the [Other Univ.] tab or [Cross Search] tab.
   If you can confirm that the library of another institution possesses the materials you are looking for, you may be able to go directly to that library to use the materials there or get them from the library.

• Renewed return dates are calculated based on the special online rules of each holding library.
• An online renewal is updated on the day that the update process is executed. Note that the borrowing period is not an added period from the due date.
• Renewal is not possible in the following cases:
  • Materials for "holiday loan"
  • Materials already reserved by another user
  • Overdue materials and materials in a restricted borrowing period
  • Where update may not be possible depending on the material type (textbooks, serials, etc.)

• Cancellation of a borrowing restriction takes effect on OPAC at about 6:00 a.m. on the cancellation date.
  If you are a user whose borrowing is restricted but you want to renew or reserve different materials currently checked out from the same library/room, do so after 6:00 a.m. on the borrowing restriction cancellation date.
  
• Libraries/rooms have book drops. Any materials returned after hours to the book drop of a library are basically considered returned on the previous business day with the return processed on the next business day.
  
• Library/room use privileges may be suspended for long overdue accounts.
  
• Overdue materials and materials with penalties incurred at a library/room can be borrowed from another library/room. They can also be reserved and renewed from OPAC.
  
• Even if your account still had overdue materials and a borrowing restriction, you could apply from OPAC to copy a book (get a copy from another library) and borrow a book (back-order the actual book). You could also make a library purchase request (* Being prepared).