“2030 Digital Library” and the Transformation of the Concept of Interlibrary Collaboration among Japanese University Libraries

Abstract

This paper examines Japanese university libraries’ conceptual and structural transformation in light of the “2030 Digital Library” initiative articulated by the specialised Subcommittee under the Council for Science and Technology of Japan. Amid accelerating digital transformation and the post-pandemic shift toward virtualised academic environments, university libraries are expected to evolve beyond their physical premises to serve as dynamic infrastructures for knowledge access and production. Central to this transformation are the strategic digitization of the library collection, open access implementation, library schemas development, and specialised personnel cultivation. The paper further discusses the necessity of the reconfiguration of interlibrary collaboration, moving from traditional resource sharing to systemic integration, cooperative platform governance, and inter-institutional resource pooling, including human resources, to realise the “2030 Digital Library”.