Columbia University: Toshiba Library

About the library:

The Toshiba Library began in 1982 when the Law Library at Columbia University received a donation of over 13,000 items from the family of the late Justice Jiro Tanaka. This original collection was a comprehensive overview of Japanese law, with a concentration on constitutional law. It is currently considered one of the most comprehensive collections of Japanese law outside of Japan.

Approximately 40% of the collection is located in the open stacks of the library; the remaining 60% are in storage or the closed stack area, and are available on request.

For more information on the Japanese collection, please call 212-854-4193 or email the curator.

For all comments and questions about the Guide, please e-mail us:

mlaguide@nccjapan.net

Collection size: as of June 2023

• Approximately 22,000 monograph volumes
• Approximately 600 serial titles
• Legal databases, indexes, and access to full-text cases covering the period from the end of the 19th century to the present
• Total physical holdings of approximately 40,000 volumes, including both monographs and serials

The Toshiba Library collection is particularly strong in corporations law, securities and finance law, administrative law, and criminal law.

Please note: the majority of these databases require the user to either be present on the Columbia University campus, or to log in with a user ID and password provided by Columbia University.

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Visiting the Library

Access to the Toshiba Library for Japanese Legal Research, as part of the Arthur W. Diamond Law Library, is free for Columbia Law School and Columbia University students, faculty, staff, and alumni.

For non-affiliated individuals:

The Diamond Law Library Fee-Based Services department provides two types of fee-based services for institutions, businesses, private libraries, and individuals who need access to its collections. Please see the individual links below for more information about each option.

The Subscription Service, with an annual fee, provides law firms and other organizations with quick and easy access to the Law Library, as well as discounted rates and access to materials from other on-campus libraries. The Document Delivery Service is a pay-as-you-go program for firms, nonprofits, and individuals not affiliated with Columbia University. 

Photocopying and Scanning Policies

There are three public scanners within the Diamond Law Library available for patron use. These can either save the scanned items to a USB device, or send them to the patron via email. The Law Library requests that patrons keep scanner use to 30-minute sessions, and recommends that individual files be kept to no more than 40 pages for email delivery.