The 16th Forum on the Collaborative Reference Database Project The CRD as a platform for reference services during a pandemic A Webinar from Japan to be held March 19, 2021

The Collaborative Reference Database (CRD) is a tool for providing reference services at the National Diet Library, Japan, that is currently being developed in collaboration with libraries throughout Japan. At present, the database comprises about 140,000 questions that were submitted to reference librarians throughout Japan and which, together with their answers, are available to be browsed by the general public.

This year’s Forum on the CRD Project will examine the subject of providing reference services during a pandemic, including efforts by libraries participating in the CRD Project to provide reference services remotely. In addition, a review of the significance of the CRD Project as a platform for providing reference services will be followed by a discussion of what the CRD Project and other library reference services might look like in the future.

A year has passed since the COVID-19 pandemic began to impact our daily lives. And the constantly changing situation has left many people feeling uncertain about both the current and future status of library services. We hope that this forum will be an opportunity to think about the future of reference and other library services. We invite anyone who is interested in either this subject in general or the CRD Project in particular to participate in this forum, which will be held entirely in the Japanese language.

Subject:
The Collaborative Reference Database as a platform for reference services during a pandemic

Time and Date:
12:30 to 4:55 p.m. Japan Standard Time on Friday, March 19, 2021

Venue:
Online via Webex Events

Capacity:
900 participants

Main program:
・Opening comments “Is the CRD a platform?”
  Prof. ODA Mitsuhiro, College of Community Studies, Aoyama Gakuin University

・Reports from participating libraries
1. Osaka Municipal Central Library 
   Ms. FUJIMOTO Akiko
  2. Kannami Town Library
   Ms. OOHATA Mai
  3. Kindai University Central Library 
   Ms. UENO Hisae
  4. Kanagawa Association of School Librarians 
   Ms. TAGO Tamaki

・Report from the Secretariat “Proposal for utilizing the CRD”
  Library Support Division from the Kansai-kan of the National Diet Library, Japan

・Roundtable discussion
  Participating libraries
  Coordinator:Ms. SAKAI Kanako, Institute of Developing Economies Library

Deadline for registration: 11:59 p.m. JST on Friday, March 12, 2021 Please see the following page for information in Japanese on the program and how to register.
The 16th forum on the Collaborative Reference Database Project https://crd.ndl.go.jp/jp/library/forum_r2_16.html

Please direct all inquiries to the Library Support Division Kansai-kan of the National Diet Library, Japan
E-mail: info-crd@ndl.go.jp