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From the Archives: NCC’s Next Decade Conferences

This month, as NCC prepares for our Next Decade Conference, our “From the Archives” feature looks back at how previous conferences have shaped and impacted our organization. Each decade, NCC hosts a conference to gather librarians and scholars in Japanese Studies. Together, they consider current and upcoming challenges in the field and set NCC’s agenda for the next ten years. Training, programming, and projects come from the discussions and suggestions made during these events. 

Previous decade conferences were held in 2000 and 2010, each with over 100 participants. The conversations held at these events resulted in some of the most influential programs that NCC has created. Over the last two decades, one of the most significant changes NCC has made is a renewed emphasis on digital resources.

In 2000, for example, as electronic resources bloomed and the internet became increasingly prominent, several NCC programs were developed to train upcoming and mid-career librarians and scholars in using new digital tools. A new committee was ultimately created (the Digital Resources Committee) and charged with assisting North American libraries with acquiring access to expensive or complex digital resources for research and learning at their institutions. The DRC continues this mission today. (see their work at https://guides.nccjapan.org/jpn-db-directory). Collaboration efforts were expanded internationally, as global Interlibrary Loan efforts were prioritized and NCC’s collaborators tackled issues related to electronic copyright.

In 2010, recommendations continued to emphasize digital resources and needs. Team Building Workshops were designed for smaller institutions without a dedicated Japanese Studies librarian, pairing scholars with non-specialist librarians at the same institution who would work together to learn valuable ways to address field-specific teaching and research needs. In addition, many of the digital initiatives started by NCC were improved and expanded upon. A major website redesign and expansion resulted in increased access to many of our projects and resources and provided a foundation for other initiatives.

These conferences have been vital in setting our priorities, and this coming Next Decade Conference--generously funded by the Toshiba International Foundation--will also play a crucial role in our mission to make Japanese Studies library resources more accessible. NCC invites all those with an interest in the future of Japanese Studies to take part in our online sessions. This year, we are combining the planning for the coming decade with a celebration of our 30th anniversary. Join us to both reflect on our accomplishments and to look forward to our future goals. The tentative schedule of events is on our website at https://guides.nccjapan.org/events/30th-anniversary. We will keep updating it in the weeks ahead so do stay tuned!