The National Institute of Informatics has successfully launched a new national cataloging platform for 1,300 libraries in Japan. OCLC's Syndeo metadata software services were implemented to modernize the NACSIS-CAT/ILL service, which supports cataloging and interlibrary loan in Japan, and to facilitate national and international library collaboration.
The launch marks the conclusion of a two-year implementation project supported by Kinokuniya Company, OCLC's distributing partner in Japan, that has delivered on time and to plan. The new system accommodates multiple metadata types, including MARC21 and CAT-P, a unique format used in Japan. The introduction of OCLC's Syndeo to underpin cataloging workflows offers the potential to exchange metadata internationally and raise the visibility of Japanese research. It will also facilitate a new interlibrary loan service in Japan.
NACSIS-CAT/ILL has been in operation since 1985, supporting cataloging and interlibrary loan operations of Japanese libraries. The globalization of academic research and the digital shift of academic information management led to a tender being issued in 2021 to modernize the existing infrastructure, which resulted in OCLC becoming a development partner. The new platform is now available.
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