{"id":58076,"date":"2026-06-30T11:57:11","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T02:57:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/library.kanazawa-u.ac.jp\/?page_id=58076"},"modified":"2026-07-01T09:08:32","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T00:08:32","slug":"oa20","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/library.kanazawa-u.ac.jp\/?page_id=58076&lang=en","title":{"rendered":"KURA 20th Anniversary Special Page"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

KURA(Kanazawa University Repository for Academic Resources)<\/strong> Celebrates Its 20th Anniversary on June 12, 2026!<\/span><\/p>\n

This page looks back on the 20-year history of the Kanazawa University Repository for Academic Resources through key milestones and statistics, and introduces its future directions.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\"\u76ee\u6b21\"<\/p>\n
About
\nKURA<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\"\u76ee\u6b21\"<\/p>\n
KURA
\nby the
\nNumbers<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\"\u76ee\u6b21\"<\/p>\n
The Future
\nof KURA<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\"\u76ee\u6b21\"<\/p>\n
Early KURA
\nAnother
\nStories<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/a>About KURA<\/div>\n

KURA is the institutional repository of Kanazawa University. It preserves in digital form and makes publicly available via the Internet scholarly information (content) produced by the University’s faculty members, staff, and other affiliated researchers as a result of their education and research activities. Serving as a showcase of the University’s achievements in research and education, KURA provides indexes organized by academic unit and by resource type.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/a>KURA by the Numbers<\/div>\n

Growth in the Number of Items in KURA<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a> <\/p>\n
\n

Number of Registered Items at the End of FY2025:<\/p>\n

58,834<\/p>\n

Bulletin articles:<\/p>\n

22,684<\/p>\n

Journal articles:<\/p>\n

13,869<\/p>\n

Doctoral theses:<\/p>\n

3,364<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u203bOnly the total number of registered items is available for FY2006\u2013FY2009, as no breakdown data exist.<\/p>\n

\u203bThe relatively large number of bulletin articles is consistent with trends observed in institutional repositories at other universities in Japan.<\/p>\n

\u203bA characteristic feature of KURA is the relatively high number of research reports, which is considered to reflect the early practice of registering Grant-in-Aid (KAKENHI) research reports in order to increase the number of registered items.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Trends in Registered Scholarly Articles in KURA<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u203bAlthough an Open Access policy was established in FY2018, the number of voluntary submissions from faculty members remained limited. Registrations increased in FY2019, followed by a decline in FY2020.<\/p>\n

\u203bIn May 2024, the hiring of a new full-time staff member contributed to an increase in the number of registrations.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Changes in the Distribution of Content Types in KURA (FY2010 vs. FY2025)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
FY2010: 24,033 items registered<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
FY2025: 58,834 items registered<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u203bBulletin articles account for a relatively large proportion of the total, while the proportion of journal articles has also been increasing.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

History of KURA<\/p>\n

\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
Year<\/span> Major Events (Light Blue = Internal, Yellow = External)<\/span> Gov.<\/span> Sys.<\/span><\/div>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
2004<\/span><\/div>\n
\n

Launch of the NII “Collaborative Construction of Next-Generation Academic Content Infrastructure”<\/p>\n

\u2192Increasing momentum toward Green OA<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
2005<\/span><\/div>\n
\n

Sep.<\/p>\n

Selected for the NII \u201cFY2005 CSI (Cyber Science Infrastructure) Project\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Oct.<\/p>\n

Establishment of the Committee on the Institutional Repository of Kanazawa University (Faculty Organization)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Nov.<\/p>\n

Held the symposium \u201cFuture of Scholarly Communication: Electronic Journals, Open Access, and Institutional Repositories\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Dec.<\/p>\n

Held IR briefing sessions at faculty meetings and conducted an internal survey on copyright, IR registration of institutional bulletins, and willingness to deposit academic articles.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
2006<\/span><\/div>\n
\n

Mar.<\/p>\n

Report of the Committee on the Institutional Repository of Kanazawa University<\/p>\n

Approval of the \u201cGuidelines for the Establishment of the Kanazawa University Institutional Repository\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Apr.<\/p>\n

Selected for the NII \u201cFY2006 CSI (Cyber Science Infrastructure) Project\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

May<\/p>\n

Approval of the \u201cKanazawa University Institutional Repository Operational Guidelines\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

June 12: Launch ofKURA<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Jul.<\/p>\n

Featured in Issue No.160 of the library newsletter \u201cKodama\u201d<\/a>
\n\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Dec.<\/p>\n

Held briefings at faculty meetings on requests for content submission to KURA<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
2007<\/span><\/div>\n
\n

Apr.<\/p>\n

Selected for the NII \u201cFY2007 CSI (Cyber Science Infrastructure) Project\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
2008<\/span><\/div>\n
\n

Jul.<\/p>\n

Selected for the NII \u201cFY2008 CSI (Cyber Science Infrastructure) Project\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
2009<\/span><\/div>\n
\n

Jul.<\/p>\n

Selected for the NII \u201cFY2009 CSI (Cyber Science Infrastructure) Project\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
2010<\/span><\/div>\n
\n

Feb.<\/p>\n

Held the symposium\u201cMission of University Libraries and Institutional Repositories\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Jul.<\/p>\n

Selected for the NII \u201cFY2010 CSI (Cyber Science Infrastructure) Project\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Oct.<\/p>\n

In conjunction with International Open Access Week 2010,author interviews were conducted for the top 20 most downloaded KURA items.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
2011<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
2013<\/span><\/div>\n
\n

Enforcement of the Ministerial Ordinance Revising Part of the Degree Regulations<\/a><\/p>\n

Online publication of doctoral dissertations<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
2016<\/span><\/div>\n
\n

Promotion of the Openness of Academic Information (Deliberation Summary)<\/a><\/p>\n

A checkbox for \u201cDeposited in the repository\u201d was added to KAKENHI reports.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
2017<\/span><\/div>\n
\n

Apr.<\/p>\n

Establishment of the Open Access Policy Working Group (Faculty Organization)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

The number of registered journal articles exceeded 10,000!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
2018<\/span><\/div>\n
\n

Apr.<\/p>\n

Implementation of the Kanazawa University Open Access Policy<\/a><\/p>\n

Implementation of the Kanazawa University Open Access Policy Implementation Guidelines<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
2021<\/span><\/div>\n
\n

Basic Policy on the Management and Utilization of Research Data Derived from Publicly Funded Research<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
2023<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
2024<\/span><\/div>\n
\n

National Policy on Promoting Open Access to Publicly Funded Scholarly Publications and Scientific Data<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Jun.<\/p>\n

Kanazawa University Institutional Repository Operational Guidelines (Revised June 2024)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Jul.<\/p>\n

Selected for the \u201cOpen Access Acceleration Project\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
2025<\/span><\/div>\n
\n

Launch of PreKURA and integration with OSS (Kanazawa University Open Science System)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
2026<\/span><\/div>\n
\n

Recipient of the Kanazawa University Special Award (FY2025)
\n\"\"<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

And the journey continues<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/a>The Future of KURA<\/div>\n

\u201cDevelopment of PreKURA and initiation of collaboration with OSS\u201d<\/p>\n

A repository (KURA) registration support system for promoting open access. Developed in FY2024 under the Open Access Acceleration Project to enable the publication of metadata for both research articles and research data.<\/p>\n

PreKURA automatically collects publication information of the university\u2019s researchers from researchmap, as well as article supporting data and research data metadata from OSS. It performs format validation and supplements missing items within the system to generate high-quality metadata for registration in KURA, and also enables communication between the library and researchers. In addition, the system provides researchers with a means to visualize their open access status.
\n\u2192Registration with Kanazawa University Academic Information Repository (KURA)<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Future Prospects<\/p>\n

In order to further develop KURA, we will promote the implementation and enhancement of the following functions.<\/p>\n

\u30fbBy transitioning from the current researchmap-based ingestion of publication information to an OSS-enabled ingestion approach, we will integrate DMP information with publications and research data, thereby establishing a research information infrastructure that provides end-to-end support from the initiation of research through to the dissemination of results.<\/p>\n

\u30fbBy leveraging AI technologies, we will automate and enhance processes such as metadata enrichment, open access (OA) status determination, and verification of publisher policies, thereby reducing the workload of both researchers and administrators.<\/p>\n

\u30fbWe will strengthen the linkage between publications and supporting data, and establish an integrated management system for research outputs and research data through the connection of DOIs and metadata.<\/p>\n

\u30fbAssuming interoperability with GakuNin RDM, WEKO3, CiNii, and related systems, we will examine an appropriate division-of-labor model with OA support functions (such as OA Assist) to improve the efficiency and sophistication of research output dissemination support.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Link<\/p>\n

Library support for open access(OA)\uff01<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201dThe Gold Key and the Green Key: An Introduction to OA\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

OSS\uff08Open Science System\uff09<\/a><\/p>\n

Kanazawa University Repository for Academic Resources “KURA”<\/a><\/p>\n

PreKURA<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/a>Early KURA Another Stories<\/div>\n
\n
\"\"<\/p>\n

Hashi, Yohei<\/p>\n

General Affairs Department, Kanazawa University
\nAcademic Information Division
\n\uff08Rare Materials Section\uff09<\/p>\n

Section Chief responsible for the initial launch of KURA<\/p>\n

Date of preparation:
\nJune 25, 2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

When discussing the launch of KURA, it is impossible to omit \u201cMr. Uchijima in 2005.\u201d<\/strong> At the time, he was the Deputy Director of the Information Planning Division, Mr. Uchijima Hideki, who passionately and rapidly advocated for the significance of university libraries maintaining institutional repositories<\/strong>, making extensive use of English loanwords that could be described as \u201cUchijima-terms.\u201d This initiative (also one of his characteristic \u201cUchijima terms\u201d) became the starting point of KURA. I was also involved in the launch of KURA, but in practice I mainly acted in alignment with Mr. Uchijima\u2019s vision and facilitated various tasks. In retrospect, it may be fair to say that \u201cMr. Uchijima spoke, and I recorded.\u201d<\/strong> As a result, shortly after the launch of KURA, I contributed the following article to \u300eJournal of college and university libraries\u300f<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hashi, Yohei\u300cThe Report on building Kanazawa University Repository for Academic Resources (KURA) and its problems\u300d<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Journal of college and university libraries 79, pp.18-26, 2007-03-31 <\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The formative years of KURA are largely documented in this article. However, in celebration of its 20th anniversary, I would like to take this opportunity to share some \u201cnotes that can only be told now\u201d<\/strong> about this definitive account, along with a few \u201cinteresting behind-the-scenes anecdotes\u201d<\/strong> that may not be particularly significant but are, I believe, quite enjoyable. Think of them as \u201cAnother Stories\u201d<\/strong>\u2014or, borrowing a television analogy, a kind of \u201caudio commentary track\u201d<\/strong> to accompany the main feature. I hope you will enjoy reading them in that spirit.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n1. Let’s Build an Institutional Repository<\/summary>\n

Around 2005, shortly after Japan\u2019s national universities were incorporated, virtually no one at Kanazawa University Library was familiar with the term \u201crepository\u201d<\/strong>. The person who first proposed that the university should establish one was Mr. Uchijima. Then, as now, the escalating cost of foreign journals and electronic journals was a major issue. What was the solution? To create an alternative route for scholarly communication outside the distribution channels dominated by commercial publishers. That alternative was the Institutional Repository (IR)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

After reading Stevan Harnad\u2019s<\/strong> \u201cA Subversive Proposal\u201d<\/strong>, Mr. Uchijima sought to promote its underlying concept\u2014namely, Open Access<\/strong>\u2014throughout both the university and the library. Organizational decision-making is often described as either top-down or bottom-up. In the case of KURA at Kanazawa University, however, it could be said to have begun through a middle-up<\/strong> approach\u2014a term that, admittedly, is not heard very often.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/details>\n

\n2. KURA Was Made Possible by the CSI Project<\/summary>\n

Then came a favorable development in terms of funding: the CSI Project<\/strong> led by the National Institute of Informatics (NII). (The official name of the project was rather long and complicated, so I will omit it here. At the time, everyone simply referred to it as the \u201cCSI Project.\u201d) By then, various initiatives to improve scholarly communication were already gaining momentum worldwide<\/strong>, and it is fair to say that both NII and Mr. Uchijima hoped to harness this new movement to advance Japan\u2019s university library community.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

With the support of the CSI Project, KURA was launched alongside those of its \u201ccontemporaries\u201d (all of which are also celebrating their 20th anniversary this year), including Chiba University, Hokkaido University, the University of Tsukuba, Kyushu University, and Okayama University. The project enabled us to establish not only the system<\/strong> itself but also its initial content<\/strong>, including the registration of the university\u2019s academic bulletins. Without the CSI Project, KURA would almost certainly not have been established so early, becoming one of the first ten institutional repositories in Japan.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/details>\n

\n3. Choosing the System<\/summary>\n

One of the first key decisions in launching KURA was the selection of the system. At the time, JAIRO Cloud did not yet exist, and cloud-based services in general were not widely available. We therefore considered deploying a server within the university<\/strong>. From the perspective of long-term sustainability, integrating the repository with the library\u2019s operational systems was also discussed, but cost ultimately proved to be a major obstacle.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The reasoning was that \u201cfor institutional repositories, open-source software is available and supported by an active user community,\u201d and that \u201cthe university\u2019s Integrated Media Infrastructure Center (then part of the same Information Division as the University Library and now the Institute of Science and Engineering’s Academic Media Creation Center) was also interested in establishing an institutional repository, so perhaps we could manage and operate it ourselves<\/strong>.\u201d Based on this assessment, we ultimately decided to adopt DSpace<\/strong>, installing it on a server maintained by the Media Center (with the hardware installation and related work carried out by an external vendor).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The following image shows the design of KURA\u2019s homepage at the time of its launch.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"
\n

\u3010By the Way 1\u3011The simple \u201cKURA\u201d logo shown above (\u2191)\u2014white lettering on a blue background, if it can even be called a logo\u2014was something I put together as a temporary design. Despite its humble origins, it remained in use until KURA migrated to JAIRO Cloud.<\/p>\n

\u3010By the Way 2\u3011When it comes to KURA, the name evokes the idea of a \u201ckura\u201d (traditional Japanese storehouse). Accordingly, the current KURA homepage (\u2193) features a namako-wall-inspired design. This design is derived from a clear file created at the time of the project\u2019s launch (\u2193\u2193), as shown below.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"
\u2191 A clear file produced at the time of KURA\u2019s launch, titled \u201cOPEN! KURA.\u201d It was distributed during explanatory sessions with informational leaflets enclosed. Some people noted that the red \u201cOPEN!\u201d lettering resembled a well-known commercial by a certain confectionery company.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/details>\n

\n4. Make Sure to Follow the Formal Procedures<\/summary>\n

At the initiative of Mr. Uchijima, efforts toward the launch of an \u201cinstitutional repository (not yet named)\u201d began to take shape. It was agreed that \u201cthis is also an extremely important initiative for university libraries, so we should make sure to follow proper procedures.\u201d<\/strong> Accordingly, the then library director and administrative managers (Director Tetsuya Hashimoto, Information Division Director Nobumichi Yura, Information Planning Section Chief Kinoshita Satoru, and others) were brought into the process. A conventional approach of formal top-down authorization<\/strong> was adopted.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In late October 2005, the \u201cKanazawa University Institutional Repository (IR) Steering Committee (hereinafter the \u2018Steering Committee\u2019)\u201d<\/strong> was first established. The Committee finalized draft versions of the \u201cKanazawa University Institutional Repository Regulations\u201d and the \u201cKanazawa University Institutional Repository Operational Guidelines,\u201d which defined the scope of materials to be registered and the operational framework of the repository. Subsequently, reports were submitted to the Library Committee, the Information Planning Council, and the Education and Research Council, among others. Ultimately, formal approval was obtained, confirming that \u201cKURA is the university-wide institutional repository.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

At the time, the Steering Committee included faculty members from a wide range of disciplines. Among them were a science and engineering professor strongly critical of rising electronic journal prices, a faculty member with experience in the operation of arXiv<\/strong>, a physics preprint server often regarded as a precursor to institutional repositories, and a professor responsible for database systems at the university\u2019s Integrated Media Infrastructure Center. These highly capable members, representing a well-balanced mix of expertise, provided strong support for the library\u2019s new initiative.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/details>\n

\n5. We Enjoyed the Process of Naming It<\/summary>\n

The name of the institutional repository was also finalized by the Steering Committee, based on several proposals developed by the University Library staff. Reviewing the documents from that time, one finds a number of ideas\u2014some of which may appear rather playful in hindsight. Nevertheless, they reflect the fact that we were enjoying the process while considering a new service.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Examples of alternative proposals to \u201cKURA\u201d were also put forward<\/p>\n

\u30fbKUDOS(Kanazawa University Repository for Digitalized Outcomes)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u30fbKURIP(Kanazawa University Repository of Intellectual Properties)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u30fbKUIR(Kanazawa University Institutional Repository)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u30fbKanazawa University Repository(Examples of alternative proposals to \u201cKURA\u201d were also put forward.)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As with many universities whose names begin with \u201cK,\u201d there are a large number of institutions starting with the letter \u201cK.\u201d In that sense, the simple name \u201cKURA\u201d may have been something of a case of \u201cfirst come, first served.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Incidentally, among the more lighthearted proposals I submitted was RIKUTUNA (ReposItory of Kanazawa University for The UNlimited Access)<\/strong>. While it did receive some support, it was ultimately rejected on the grounds that the English acronym was \u201ca bit too strained\u2026\u201d and that it was \u201ctoo local in nature\u201d (the term \u201crikutsun\u0101\u201d is a Kanazawa dialect expression meaning \u201cwell-constructed\u201d or \u201ccleverly done\u201d).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/details>\n

\n6. Memorable Visits to the Faculties<\/summary>\n

With the aim of effectively implementing a new library service across the entire university, and in parallel with the activities of the Steering Committee, we conducted a series of visits\u2014led by the section chief and others\u2014to all faculties, including meetings of faculty councils, to explain what an \u201cinstitutional repository\u201d is and to request cooperation.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The presentation at the Faculty of Engineering happened to take place in early January, and it was decided that \u201cif we want to stand out, the only option is to wear a kimono,\u201d so the presentation was delivered in formal Japanese dress. \u201cThank you, Ms. Igawa!\u201d<\/strong> I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"
the kimono-clad presentation by Ms. Igawa<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/details>\n

\n7. Memories of the Education and Research Council Presentation<\/summary>\n

Just before the official launch of KURA in June 2006, I recall giving a presentation and demonstration at the Education and Research Council<\/strong> in front of then-President Yujiro Hayashi<\/strong> and many faculty members. At that point, the KURA system was already operational, and the purpose was to allow participants to experience firsthand how it actually worked.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What had been carefully prepared in advance for this occasion was a so-called \u201cgreen paper.\u201d<\/strong> With the cooperation of a co-author, we obtained the author\u2019s accepted manuscript of a paper written by the president and published in an Elsevier journal. A few additional papers were also registered in advance so that they could be demonstrated during the session.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Yoshioka, H ; Tada, Yukio ; Hayashi, Yujiro . Crystal growth and its morphology in the mushy zone . Acta Materialia. 52 pp.1515-1523, 2004-04-05. Elsevier<\/strong> URL:http:\/\/hdl.handle.net\/2297\/1627<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I am not sure whether the term \u201cauthor\u2019s final manuscript\u201d was fully retained, but I believe the participants were able to experience that papers essentially identical to those available in electronic journals could be read \u201cfor free.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/details>\n

\n8. Final Step: Press Release<\/summary>\n

As the final activity in the launch of KURA, a press release<\/strong> was issued, accompanied by a demonstration held in the audiovisual room of the Central Library. A search reveals the following document: press release<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

To our surprise, local television (Hokuriku Broadcasting) covered the event. The then library director, Mr. Kashima Masahiro, and Information Planning Section Chief Mr. Kinoshita Satoru provided explanations, while I conducted the demonstration.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"
On the left is Section Chief Kinoshita, and on the right is myself.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/details>\n

\n9. DRF Connecting Institutional Repository Managers Nationwide<\/summary>\n

Since around 2006, a key community that supported institutional repository initiatives at universities across Japan from various perspectives and connected those in charge of such activities was the DRF (Digital Repository Federation)<\/strong>, a nationwide community of university libraries and librarians.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The activities of the DRF were carried out as part of the CSI Project initiative, \u201cActivation of the Institutional Repository Community.\u201d At the same time, it gave the strong impression that library staff at universities were organically and voluntarily connected with one another, creating a kind of virtual yet remarkable sense of unity. Kanazawa University, together with institutions such as Hokkaido University and Chiba University, had been involved as a steering member since the early days of the DRF\u2019s establishment.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In daily practice, information was actively exchanged via a mailing list. I still recall Mr. Uchijima\u2019s encouragement: \u201cJust write anything on the DRF mailing list (i.e., help keep it active).\u201d<\/strong> As a result, I ended up posting quite literally anything, as long as it was even loosely related to institutional repositories.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

For example, discussions were not limited to technical questions about systems such as DSpace, but also covered a wide range of topics including training, outreach, and awareness-raising activities at each university. What had originally started, I believe, as \u201cOA skits\u201d<\/strong> at Hokkaido University evolved into \u201cOA picture-story shows (kamishibai)\u201d<\/strong>. Furthermore, various workshops held at venues such as the Library Fair helped foster connections among librarians on a nationwide scale.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It was, in retrospect, quite groundbreaking that the activities of librarians extended beyond individual universities and developed into a nationwide network. This spirit of collaboration is likely reflected today in the activities of JPCOAR<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Having written at length about various aspects of KURA\u2019s formative period, I would say that although the era in which institutional repositories were rapidly established across Japanese university libraries involved many challenges, it was also an exciting time in which we were able to experience the joy of launching a new service<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

(P.S.)<\/strong><\/p>\n

The content of the \u201cOA skits\u201d<\/strong> that originated at Hokkaido University spread nationwide and evolved into the \u201cOA picture-story show (kamishibai)\u201d<\/strong> at Hyogo University of Teacher Education. The core message remains relevant even today.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of KURA (though the timing was largely coincidental), Kanazawa University released an OA promotion video, \u201dThe Gold Key and the Green Key\u201d<\/strong><\/a> in June 2026. The fact that we still find ourselves planning such initiatives may well be a lingering reflection of the \u201cDRF spirit.\u201d There are also behind-the-scenes stories about the production of this video\u2014but that is a tale for another time.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

These videos are available at the following link.<\/p>\n

URL:https:\/\/library.kanazawa-u.ac.jp\/?page_id=18463<\/a><\/p>\n<\/details>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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