Information & Links regarding Japan from a Japanese Librarian

A Japanese librarian sent information to a listserv which I'm copying and pasting for our community.  I hope you find the information insightful and the links helpful. Please continue to pray for those affected by the numerous earthquakes in Japan, the tsunami, and the nuclear plant destruction.

Take care, Thia

"I am writing to thank you for many hearty messages you gave me when I sent my first and second reports about Japan earthquake on March 11. I also read IFLA's special webpage "Resources from the library community affected by the March 11th Earthquake in Japan". I also wish my regards to staff members who maintain the page.

       I am also grateful that another international organizations also start their commitments for Japan Earthquake on March 11.

           *WHO: Japan Earthquake
             http://www.wpro.who.int/media_centre/jpn_earthquake/main.htm
           *WHO: Japan nuclear concerns
             http://www.who.int/hac/crises/jpn/en/
           *IAEA: IAEA Update on Japan Earthquake
             http://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/tsunamiupdate01.html
           *ICOM (International Council of Museum)
             http://icom.museum/news/news/article/icom-encourages-japans-
             efforts-in-protecting-its-cultural-heritage.html

1. General information
        National Police Agency of Japan reported that this Japan Earthquake caused 9,452 deaths and 14,671 missing people (as of March 23, 2011). Japan Meteorological Agency revised the magnitude of this earthquake to 9.0. This means the Japan Earthquake is almost as strong as earthquake of Sumatra Island of 2004.

           *Damage Situation and Police Countermeasures associated with
            2011 Tohoku district - off the Pacific Ocean Earthquake
            http://www.npa.go.jp/archive/keibi/biki/higaijokyo_e.pdf

       Earthquake, tsunami, aftershock, accidents on the nuclear power plants, shortage of diverse goods, planned and rotated power outage, damages on vital infrastructure, cancellation of train services, cancellation of many events, destruction of many materials, health issues... Now lives of our Japanese people became full of danger and inconvenience. I think almost of you outside of Japan get information about Japan from BBC, CNN, etc...I would be much grateful if you would also access and get information from Japanese broadcast, newspaper, news agency, and NPO as follows.

            *NHK (Broadcast)  http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/
            *ASAHI SHIMBUN (Newspaper) http://www.asahi.com/english/
            *MAINICHI DAILY NEWS (Newspaper) http://mdn.mainichi.jp/
            *Daily Yomiuri (Newspaper) http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/
            *Kyodo News (News agency)  http://english.kyodonews.jp/
            *Citizen's Nuclear Information Center (NPO)
                                       http://www.cnic.jp/english/

2. Brief information about Japanese library community
        In previous e-mail I wrote " I also receive good news--no injured persons occurred for library staff members' contributions".
But, sorry, unfortunately, with more information I learned that Situation is more severe. In Tohoku area, there are some areas (cities, wards,towns...) which was reported to be totally broken by tsunami. One of examples is Rikuzentakata city in Iwate prefecture. Iwate Prefectural Library reported that telephone-communication to The Rikuzentakata city library is unavailable as of March 18. The website of Rikuzentakata city library is not accessible. I have no information about them. It is very anxious situation. About location of Rikuzentakata, please see link as follows.

            http://bit.ly/gkkrMg (Google map)

        Of course, there are many library with no human damage. And I also met cases which communication with uncontactable people resumed.

        I would add related information which I have now. I already pointed out some of following issues in previous e-mail. I think many libraries face these issues.

            *No response of internet servers. It maybe system down.
              Neither WWW nor e-mail available.
            *Scattering of library materials
           *Physical and mental health issues of library staff
              member(s) and his/her family
            *Brakes of library facilities and stacks (It will causes
              service cut backs and library closes)
            *Health issues of library staff members
            *Power outage (planned and rotational power outage
              continues, because power supply capacities will worse. It
              will causes stops of computer systems, stop of water
              supply... and causes finally library closes and service
              cut backs)
           *Library close, or service contents cut back

        For example, now services of of the National Institute of Informatics (NII), is not supplied stablly. The services include "Webcat-plus", one of Japanese union catalogue which contain almost all of Japanese university-library's holding information. Please see notices from NII. URL is http://www.nii.ac.jp/content/info/.

        But, in library community and library-related publishers'
community, some good news are reported.

             *Some prefectural libraries started www-based information
              delivery for disaster-recovery.
             *"Collaborative Reference Database Project", which is a project
              for storing reference cases and building database, make a page
              of "earthquake/disaster related information". URL is as follows
              http://crd.ndl.go.jp/jp/library/20110311.html　(written in
              Japanese)
             *Open-access of disaster related information. Some publishers/
              information distributors announced that they decided to deliver
              disaster-related medical information as open-access for the
              moment.ex. "Cochrane library", url is as follows:
              http://www.cochrane.org/features/evidence-aid-resources-
              japanese-earthquake-and-tsunami
             *The Red Cross started web-based people-finding service "Family
              link" for the relatives of Japan Earthquake. The aim of the
              site is to help people, who have become separated by conflict
              or disaster, get back in contact. URL is as follows:

http://www.familylinks.icrc.org/wfl/wfl_jap.nsf/DocIndex/locate_
              eng?opendocument
             *"savelibrary @ wiki" by Mr. Makoto Okamoto and their colleague,
              whom I introduced in previous e-mail. Now this wiki started
              delivering bibliographic information of the materials which is
              useful for disaster-recovery. URL is as follows:
              http://www45.atwiki.jp/savelibrary/  (written in Japanese)
             *"Earthquake 201103 Japan" by Mr. Toshinori Egami of the
              International Research Center for Japanese Studies. Useful link
              for reacting to earthquake. (I mistook the Name of Mr. Egami in
              previous e-mail. Excuse me.)

3. Finally
       As I wrote in previous e-mail, I --and many of another Japanese library community members, perhaps--believe that we will again do library services with hearty smiles to library clientele through these patient efforts. First step for recovery begins just now. I would be grateful if you would maintain your interest in Japan earthquake on March 11.

       At last, I wish to express my best regards to you again.

Sincerely Yours

Ryuichiro TAKAHASHI
Chief of Library-user Support Section
Tokyo Gakugei University Library
4-1-1, Nukui-Kita-Machi
Koganei-shi, Tokyo, 184-8501 JAPAN
Fax:+81 42 329 7226
E-Mail: rtakahas@u-gakugei.ac.jp