The ICU Library was established in 1953 along with the founding of the university, and it was initially located inside the University Hall.

This building, which is still used as the University Hall today, was originally the Mitaka Research Institute of Nakajima Aircraft Inc., where engines for the Zero fighter planes were designed and manufactured during World War II. At the time of ICU’s founding in 1953, the building was equipped with steam heating, making it an exceptionally luxurious facility for a university.

In 1960, a separate three-story building was constructed at the current location using donations from various American churches and John D. Rockefeller III. The building was designed by Antonin Raymond, who had worked as an assistant to Frank Lloyd Wright on the construction of the Imperial Hotel and had designed many other iconic buildings such as Tokyo Woman’s Christian University and St. Luke’s International Hospital.

The building was developed under the guidance of library architecture consultant Mr. O’Connor and then-librarian Ms. Tane Takahashi. It featured a three-story structure with a sunken design and incorporated the latest library theories of the time. It was also the first library in Japan to adopt an entirely open-stacks system, at a time when closed-stacks libraries were still the norm, drawing significant attention from the library world.

In 1972, an extension was added to the west side (the left half of the photo), doubling the floor space. By the mid-1980s, however, the additional shelves were completely filled, and the library began outsourcing the storage of materials to warehouse companies.

In 1982, ICU Library became the first in Japan to adopt an overseas cataloging system for organizing its collection. In 1983, it introduced computer-based lending management, and in 1991, it implemented an Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC), consistently leading the way in adopting cutting-edge technologies.

In 1999, the Mildred Topp Othmer Library, equipped with computers and other new media functions, was constructed to the south of the old library and opened in 2000. This library has no bookshelves but includes group learning areas, group study rooms, and a café. 

It is connected to the old library by a bridge and integrates books, journals, and digital media, serving as a central hub for students’ learning and research. Additionally, it was the first library in Japan to introduce an automated storage system capable of holding 500,000 volumes underground, enabling high-density and efficient storage and retrieval.