Using the library

Library Usage Guide (for students, teachers and staff of Doshisha University)

AdmissionAll the members of Doshisha University are required to carry their ID cards (student/teacher/staff ID, or a library card) when entering the library. If you forget to bring your ID card, please contact the information.
  • Those other than full-time faculty and staff, including retirees, need to have a library card. To apply for issuing the card, please inquire at the main counter in the library on either campus.
BorrowingPlease bring the items you wish to borrow to the main counter with your ID card and complete the necessary check-out procedures.
  • The borrowing limits and the loan periods are as follows.
    You may borrow up to 30 items for 14 days.
The loan period may change during long vacation periods.
Details of any changes will be posted on the library bulletin boards and the library website.
  • Please note the following items may not be borrowed for use outside the library: reference materials, periodicals (academic journals, magazines, newspapers, law reports, etc.), audio-visual materials, rare books, noncirculating materials, EU-related materials, Doshisha Archives materials, etc.
ReturningPlease return the borrowed items to the main counter, or to the book return slot when the library is closed, before the due date.

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Materials held by Imadegawa Library and Learned Memorial Library can be borrowed or returned at any of these libraries.

RenewalIf you wish to renew borrowed materials, please bring them to the main counter with your ID card before the due date. You will not be able to renew an item if it has been requested by another person.
Renewal can also be done online via My DOORS.
ReservationYou can reserve items that are currently on loan to someone else.
Please submit a reservation form at the main counter or online via DOORS.
You may reserve and request up to a total of 10 items.
An email notification will be sent to you once the requested item becomes available. It will remain on the hold shelf for 10 days.
For the details of how to reserve items via DOORS, please refer to Tips for DOORS 1 Search and Reservation.
Online ServicesUsing DOORS , you can reserve materials, as well as make requests for interlibrary loan/photocopy service or Purchase Request . You can also register for the SDI (Selective Dissemination of Information) service, which keeps users informed by email of new publications in their fields of interest, and the Alert service, which sends email notifications to users when the latest issues arrive of periodicals subscribed to by the library.
Via My DOORS, you can check your library record, renew borrowed materials, and cancel reservations or purchase requests.
Closed-stack materialsYou can use materials stored in the closed stacks at Imadegawa Library. Please fill out an application form and submit it to the main counter with your ID card.
Delivery ServiceYou can use the delivery service to request the following items:
  • Books available for loan in another campus library
  • Materials* stored in Imadegawa Library Hakuenkan Stacks
  • Materials* stored in Imadegawa Library Off-Campus Storage
Please submit a request form at the main counter or online via DOORS.
* Requests for non-circulating materials via DOORS are not acceptable. Please contact the main counter for any inquiries.
You may request and reserve up to a total of 10 items. An email notification will be sent to you once the requested item is ready to be picked up. It will remain on the hold shelf for 10 days.
For the details of how to request items online via DOORS , please refer to Tips for DOORS 1 Search and Reservation.

You can also request photocopies of journals and non-circulating materials held in another campus library.
For details, please refer to Tips for DOORS 4 Photocopy/Interlibrary Loan.

For information on requests for materials from other universities and institutions, see the page Using other universities and institutions’ materials.
Materials of research laboratoriesIf you wish to use the materials held by faculty libraries or research laboratories, please inquire at the main counter or the reference counter.
Availabilities and usage rules are different depending on each faculty library or research laboratory.

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If you have overdue items, you will not be able to borrow, renew or reserve any further items, nor make requests for delivery, purchase, or interlibrary loan/photocopying services.

Photocopying of library materials Photocopying library materials within the limits of copyright law is permitted in the library. It costs 10 yen for black and white, 50 yen for color per single sided copy. A paper copy from microforms costs 30 yen. Please refrain photocopying your own books or notebooks in the library.
Reuse of Library MaterialsFor the terms of reuse, please see Reuse of Library Materials.
Rare booksThe items in the Rare Books Room at Imadegawa Library are not available in the library from the 11th August 2023 to the end of March 2026 (to be scheduled) due to the rebuilding of Imadegawa Library.
Some of the items can be viewed on the webpage of Doshisha University Digital Collections.
Audio-visual materialsIn Imadegawa Library, audio-visual materials are freely available within the multimedia library. Please show your ID card at the reception desk when entering the room.The materials cannot be borrowed.
Libraries of Doshisha Women’s College of Liberal ArtsTo enter the library and borrow the library materials, full-time faculty and staff are required to carry their ID cards with them.Regular students need to apply for a library card in person at one of the libraries of Doshisha Women’s College of Liberal Arts. Users other than the above, please inquire at the library counter. Library usage and hours differ depending on each library. Please check Doshisha Women’s College of Liberal Arts .