The issue affecting ICU Discovery (EDS) has been resolved. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

As of 5:00 p.m. on October 20, 2025, ICU Discovery is experiencing access problems and unavailable. We will notify you as soon as it is restored. We apologize for any inconvenience caused.

On Friday, October 10, eight members of the Library Wizards participated in a Student Book Selection Tour at Kinokuniya Shinjuku Main Store.

After receiving instructions on how to use the handheld device for scanning ISBN barcodes, the students spread out across the floors with maps in hand, heading to the shelves that interested them most.

They then attended a short workshop on how to create book recommendation POP displays and produced their own original designs.

In June next year, a special corner inside the store will showcase “Books Selected by ICU Students,” featuring titles chosen through the student book selection tour.  In addition, the selected titles will gradually be added to the library’s new arrivals collection. Please look forward to it!

An evacuation drill will be conducted as follows:

Date and Time: Monday, October 20, 2025 – 12:45 p.m.

All library users are kindly asked to participate. Please follow the staff’s instructions during the drill and be sure to keep your valuables with you while evacuating.

The library will reopen for regular use immediately after the drill.

Due to inspection of the fire prevention equipment, some construction noise may occur during the following period:

Date and Time: Thursday, November 27 – Morning

Please note that the ASRS (Automated Storage and Retrieval System) will be out of operation during the inspection.

The schedule may vary slightly depending on the work progress. Thank you for your understanding.

What is MyAthens?
A directory of databases subscribed to by ICU. It’s handy when you want to jump straight to a specific database.

What’s new

1. All 135 databases now listed
   All 135 databases available to ICU are included. Each entry now shows Overview, Resource Type, Fields Covered, Primary Language, and Concurrent Users, so even less-familiar databases are easier to understand.
   
   

2. Both platforms and individual databases
   For suites like EBSCO or ProQuest that contain many databases, we’ve listed both the overall platform and the individual databases. This makes it easier to find exactly what you need.
   
   

3. Improved searchability
   You can cross-search not only titles but also descriptions. Enter a keyword from your field—e.g., “folklore”—and you’ll get hits even if the word isn’t in the database title.
   
   

4. Intuitive icons
   Every database now has a clear icon. You can even search by icon—for example, searching 🗾 will list Japanese-language databases.
   
   

5. Customize to your liking
   Add a ❤ to frequently used databases. Click the Favorites button to see your personalized list.

You can now search and view senior and master’s theses submitted in July 2025 (limited to works that permit access for on-campus users).

We apologize for the delay due to preparations for the new system. For detailed instructions, please see this page. 

During the following period, books selected by the Library Wizards, a student group at the Library, will be on display under the title "Drawn into the depth of 'Nihon Bungaku.'"

While reading academic books for your report also makes you a good student, what about exploring Japanese modern literature in the long autumn evenings? 

Library Wizards selected two Japanese literary styles of “Tambi-ha” and “Burai-ha,” which we all love. Hope you enjoy these moving collections!

• Place: Display shelf on the first floor of the Main Library

• Period: October 1st, 2025 - 31st, 2025.

• Book List

The ICU Library will conduct a trial of RapidILL, a service that delivers requested articles as PDF files, during the following period. Based on usage during the trial, we will consider entering into a subscription contract from April 2026. We encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity.

Trial Period: October 1 (Wed) – October 31 (Fri), 2025

How to Apply:

1. Log in to MyLibrary.

2. From the “Interlibrary Loan/Photocopy Orders” menu, enter the bibliographic details of the article (journal title, volume, issue, year, article title, author).

Note: During this period, requests for foreign-language articles will be processed through RapidILL. If an item cannot be obtained through this service, or if it is in Japanese, the request will be sent to a domestic holding library, and you will receive a printed copy instead.

For detailed instructions with screenshots, please refer to the ICU Portal announcement. 

Naxos Music Library is currently experiencing access issues.

The provider has issued temporary IDs and passwords, so please check the information in this spreadsheet and log in accordingly.

ASRS has restored and in operation now.　We apologize for the inconvenience caused.

Due to a malfunction in the ASRS, check-in and check-out are currently unavailable.

At this time, it is also not possible to retrieve bound senior theses and master’s theses stored in the ASRS. We apologize for the inconvenience, and will post an update here as soon as the system has been restored. 

Thank you for your patience.

During the following period, books selected by the Library Wizards, a student group at the Library, will be on display under the title “Discover Autumn in Japan.”

It’s almost autumn! What does autumn remind you of?

Library Wizards have selected books related to autumn or the culture of autumn in Japan, from art to the singing of insects. We hope these books will help you to find out more about autumn life in Japan, and to plan to enjoy this beautiful season.

• Place: Display shelf on the first floor of the Main Library

• Period: August 29th, 2025 - September 30th, 2025.

• Book List

As of September 1, 2025, the system for searching and viewing ICU undergraduate and master’s theses has been updated.

For more details, please refer to this page. 

The ICU Library will hold orientation sessions for new students on the following dates.

Guided Tour

The student group Library Wizards will lead a guided library tour. They will even take you to some secret spots normally off-limits!

• August 29 (Fri) 9:40 am –12:00 pm

• September 4 (Thu) 10:30 am–2:00 pm

※ Tour slots are divided by student ID number. Please check Campus Pathfinder for details.

Self-Guided Tour

Visit 8 checkpoints inside the library and submit the quiz answers to receive a special gift: an original ICU Library bookmark 🔖!

• Period: August 29 (Fri) – September 12 (Fri)

These bookmarks are uniquely designed, made from repurposed library cards that were actually used until the 1980s.

Join the self-guided tour and choose your favorite bookmark!

Café de Friends -Make Friends at the Library-

An event at the ICU Library café where you can meet new friends. Organized by the student group Library Wizards!

• Eligibility: New and current students (any year, anyone who wants to make friends)

• Date & Time: September 4 (Thu)

  • Session 1: 2:00 pm start

  • Session 2: 3:00 pm start

(Both sessions have the same program. Please join the one that suits your schedule.)

• Place: O’s café (Basement café space, Othmer Library)

• Capacity: About 50 participants

The Library will be closed from 8/9 to 8/14, and 8/18 for maintenance work.

*8/16(Sat) will be open for the ICU Open Campus.

 Also, the following services will be unavailable during the period from 8/9 to 8/14.

①TLL(TAC Libraries Inter-library Loan) ②Home Delivery Service 

All applications will be in process after August 20.

It has come to our attention that certain data related to senior theses and master's theses (thesis titles, author names [Japanese and English], student IDs, graduation dates, majors/departments, and advisor names), which should have only been accessible to ICU members, was searchable and viewable on TACOPAC,* a webpage of the Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) that member institutions of the Tama Academic Consortium (TAC) can use. We have already made the necessary changes to prevent this information from being displayed.

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience and concern this may have caused to students, alumni, and all other relevant parties.
*A system of mutual use of libraries established by a consortium of universities composed of six universities in the Tama region.

1. Background

On April 30, 2025, we received notification from a library of a member university of the Tama Academic Consortium that certain data related to senior theses and master's theses from International Christian University were searchable via TACOPAC. In response, we requested an investigation from the library system contractor on April 30, and it was discovered that there was an error in the TACOPAC settings. As a result, we implemented the necessary corrections and changes on the same day.

On June 9, 2025, it was discovered that the certain data stated above could be accessed by directly entering the URL. On the same day, we deleted the data completely to prevent them from being accessed.

2. Personal information that was accessible

(1) Items of personal information

Student name, student ID, title of senior thesis or master's thesis, graduation date, major/department, advisor's name
*The thesis itself was not accessible.

(2) Period, etc.

Of senior theses submitted to the College of Liberal Arts of International Christian University and master's theses submitted to the Graduate School of International Christian University between March 2003 and March 2020, data for which permission for internal publication was obtained

3. Secondary damage

To date, no specific cases of information leakage, unauthorized access from external sources, or misuse of the personal information in question have been confirmed.

4. Response status

On April 30, 2025, we changed the settings of TACOPAC, and we completely deleted the relevant data on June 9 of the same year, making it impossible to search for the data. We have also reported the matter to the Personal Information Protection Commission of the Cabinet Office and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

5. Cause and preventive measures

Following an investigation conducted with the contracted vendor, it was determined that the cause was a configuration error made by the ICU Library during a system update.

To prevent a recurrence of such an incident, we will maintain close collaboration with the contracted vendor and ensure that access controls are properly implemented in accordance with the university's intentions when systems are installed, changed, or updated. Additionally, we will conduct regular checks to confirm that appropriate access control settings are in place when importing data for internal use.

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience and concern this incident has caused to those affected. At this time, there is no confirmed evidence that the personal information in question has been misused. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the inquiry desk below:

International Christian University Library
Inquiry Form

From June 26th until September 4th, the library will be open during off-term hours.

▪Weekdays 9:30-17:00

Closed during the following period:

▪August 9th (Saturday) - August 14th (Thursday)

You can use O's Cafe, but please enter through the library's main entrance as you cannot enter from the Othmer Building side.

Click here for detailed opening hours.

ICU Library Friends membership is available to students who will graduate or complete their studies at ICU College of Liberal Arts or ICU Graduate School in July 2025 and who wish to continue using the library and off-campus borrowing services after graduation upon applying for registration.

• Application Start Date: Monday, July 1, 2025

• Card Distribution: Friday, July 15, 2024 [After Commencement Ceremony]

• Application Hours: Mon-Fri, 9:30 AM -4:00 PM

N.B. Your account (ICU Mail) will expire on July 18, 2025. You must use an email address that you can use after graduation, not a @icu.ac.jp email address when you fill out the form. Please make sure to check the library calendar before picking up the card.

For more details, please visit the following Library website.

During the following period, books selected by the Library Wizards, a student group at the Library, will be on display under the title “Summer Reading in 2025”.

Got plans for the long summer break that lasts through the end of August? Whether you are traveling somewhere new, busy with club activities, or simply enjoying a relaxing time at home, this is the perfect chance to dive into a good book.

During the term, it is not always easy to find time to read for pleasure—but summer gives you that extra space to slow down and enjoy stories at your own pace. That is why the Library Wizards have put together a special selection of recommended reads just for you. Happy reading!

• Place: Display shelf on the first floor of the Main Library

• Period: June 17th, 2025 - August 31st, 2025.

• Book List

Recruitment begins for the 2nd Generation of "Library Wizards," student supporters who will work alongside staff to create and manage various library services.

The expected tasks are as follows: 

• Planning monthly library exhibits

• Organizing library tours and social events for new students

• Handling some ELA and JLP lectures

• Dissemination of new book information

• Selecting books at bookstores

• Utilizing the bulletin board at the entrance

• Sharing updates through social media like Instagram, YouTube, and X

• Proposing other initiatives to enhance the library experience

We are recruiting 7 members for the 2nd generation. Please refer to the detailed application guidelines below.

Number of applicants: 7 (will be hired based on the balance of each ID)

Qualifications: 2nd year undergraduates and above, graduate students are also acceptable

Mission: "Contribute to developing students with creativity, critical thinking skills, and the ability to use information."

Payment: According to university regulations. Assumed to work approximately two periods per week.

Location: In the office of the Main Library

Starting Period: Several meetings in July and August; full-scale activities begin in September

The Person We're Looking For:

• Students who have a passion and love for libraries and books

• Students who can commit to group activities in a cooperative manner

• Students who have the ability to communicate, ideas and creativity

• Students with intellectual curiosity

• Students who are not uncomfortable with public speaking.

• Students who have the Japanese language skills necessary to carry out our work, as our activities are based on the Japanese language.

Benefits gained from the activity:

• Your ability to search literature and databases will be greatly enhanced. Especially for those who are planning to enter graduate school, this ability will definitely be useful for your future research life.

• This experience will be a big selling point in your job search, as we will be entrusting you with more than just a part-time job; you will also be playing an important role in library services.

Steps to Employment: 

The deadline for applications is during Monday, June 16.

We will then schedule a brief 10-minute interview in late June to get to know your personality and enthusiasm.

If you are interested in anything, we welcome your application. Lend your Wisdom and Power🪄 to the ICU Library!

Click here to apply.

Contact: library@icu.ac.jp (Attn: Kihira)

During this year's R-weeks, the library is hosting a collaborative exhibit! On the first floor of the ICU Library, you can find the "Fuwarin Panel" and a display of recommended books from the Center for Gender Studies (CGS) ☺️

The library is vibrantly decorated in rainbow colors. Be sure to stop by and take a look 🌈

Place: Display shelf on the first floor of the Main Library

Period: Wednesday, June 4, 2025 – Saturday, June 14, 2025

• Book List

Due to maintenance, OPAC searches for undergraduate and master's theses (printed copies) are currently unavailable. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding.

However, PDF versions of undergraduate and master's theses submitted after June 2020 can be searched and viewed as usual using the designated terminals. These terminals can be borrowed at the Main Library Document Supply Center.

ICU students can borrow books for longer periods during the summer break.

For most students, the due date will be Wednesday, September 9, 2025.

We hope you take advantage of this opportunity.

However, students who are graduating, completing their studies, or OYR students finishing in July, have a due date of Wednesday, June 25, 2025.

• Undergraduates: June 12 (Thu), 2025 – August 26 (Tue), 2025

• Graduates: May 26 (Mon), 2025 – August 8 (Fri), 2025

During the following period, books selected by the Library Wizards, a student group at the Library, will be on display under the title “Books on the far right of the bookshelves”.

This month's library display is a little different than usual!

From the far-right end of the bookshelf inside the ICU Library, the Library Wizards team has handpicked books that sparked our curiosity — the ones that made us think, "This looks interesting!"

From seemingly complex statistical analyses to the surprisingly delicious history of pizza, enjoy the delightful chaos of a collection that spans a wide range of genres!

• Place: Display shelf on the first floor of the Main Library

• Period: May 8th, 2025 - June 2th, 2025.

• Book List

Please make sure that you've returned all materials and paid all overdue fines by Wednesday, June 25th, 2025.

If you remain in debt for any of the above, you will not be permitted to graduate in July 2025.

The library does not send you a list of books on loan or a bill for overdue fines. Check your record on "MyLibrary" by yourself.

An issue where selecting the TACOPAC (TAC Library Integrated Search) tab from the OPAC (via authentication) search screen resulted in no response has been resolved as of today.

We sincerely apologize for the prolonged inconvenience caused.

As part of the new student orientation, ICU Library is conducting a self-guided tour from April 4 to April 18!

Visit eight checkpoints within the library and submit the quiz to receive an "ICU Library Original Bookmark" as a gift!

These bookmarks are a one-of-a-kind design, remade from library cards that were actually used until the 1980s. Be sure to join the self-guided tour and choose your favorite bookmark!

Until now, OPAC and ICU Discovery had significant overlap in the materials they covered, and their roles were not clearly defined.

To address this issue, the search targets have been changed as follows starting in April. We hope you will choose the tool that best suits your needs moving forward.

• OPAC: Materials held by the ICU Library (including undergraduate theses and master’s theses), outright-purchased e-books from publishers.

• ICU Discovery: Includes the above materials, e-journals and e-books accessible via databases, and curated Open Access materials.

The ICU Archives will hold a special exhibition connecting the past, present, and future of ICU.

Whether you're new to ICU or not, come and discover new encounters and rediscoveries!

Theme: "Welcome to ICU - Past, Present, and Future"

Date: Starting on Tuesday, April 1

Location: ICU Archives Exhibition Room, Main Library, 1st Floor

Contact: ICU Archives (icuarchives@icu.ac.jp)

Currently, a malfunction is occurring where selecting the TACOPAC (TAC Library Integrated Search) tab from the OPAC (access via authentication) search screen does not respond. The issue is under investigation by the service provider, but in the meantime, please use the following URL to directly access TACOPAC for your search:

TACOPAC (TAC Library Integrated Search)

We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding.

This spring, the ICU Library website will be renewed.

The official transition to the new remote access platform and discovery service is scheduled for April 1, but during the transition period, some links on the new website have already been updated.

Details about what screens will appear and how to log in during the transition can be found in the announcements on the ICU Portal, so please check there for more information.

It may feel a bit confusing at first, but if you encounter any issues or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the ICU Library.

Starting Tuesday, April 1, 2025, the ICU Library's remote access platform will switch to OpenAthens by EBSCO. Additionally, the platform for ICU Discovery will also change to EBSCO's discovery service.

This change is expected to improve the stable provision of electronic resources and enhance usability. Databases previously under contract will remain accessible. For more details, please check the announcements on the ICU Portal.

During the following period, books selected by the Library Wizards, a student group at the Library, will be on display under the title “The ICU faculties’ memorable books”.

What kind of books did the professors at ICU read when they were students, and what did they feel?

We asked the professors to share the books that were meaningful to them during their student days. For the graduating students, those continuing their studies, and the new students joining us... these are the books we want you to read!

• Place: Display shelf on the first floor of the Main Library

• Period: March 3rd, 2025 - April 30th, 2025.

• Book List

ICU Library Friends membership is available to students who will graduate or complete their studies at ICU College of Liberal Arts or ICU Graduate School in March 2025 and who wish to continue using the library and off-campus borrowing services after graduation upon applying for registration.

• Application Start Date: Monday, March 24, 2025

• Application Hours: Mon-Fri, 9:30 AM -4:30 PM

• Fill out and submit the application form at the counter. You receive the library card after April 1st and can check out books up to three.

*Please make sure to check the Calendar before visiting. For more information, please visit the Library Friends page on our website.