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Multicultural Library Service & The Foreign Language Materials Corner

Saitama prefectural libraries set up The Foreign Language Materials Corner on Kumagaya Library. We promote multicultural library service (library service primarily for ethnic, linguistic and cultural minorities) in our community. (Last updated: August 2023)

Facility

Saitama Prefectural Kumagaya Library

5-6-1 Hakoda, Kumagaya-shi, 360-0014
TEL: 048-523-6291
FAX: 048-523-6468

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The Foreign Language Materials Corner

There are about 200,000 foreign residents from 162 different countries living in Saitama Prefecture. The Saitama Prefectural Libraries collect foreign language materials for their better understanding the Japanese way of life and for providing them with information from their various native lands.

The Kumagaya Library holds about 21,000 books in 36 languages including Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, English, and Portuguese etc, 10 newspapers in 5 languages, and 38 magazines in 7 languages. They are shelved in the foreign language materials corner on the 3rd floor of the Kumagaya Library. Our librarians will provide support for you in accessing the required information resources.

The library aims not only to give visitors access to foreign language materials but to present our community with events and exhibitions to foster cultural exchanges.

  • picture of foreign language material corner

    The foreign language material corner

  • picture of magazine corner

    Magazines

Corner map


コーナー図2023_eng.PNG

1. Chinese 6. French 11. Foreign textbooks (China, Korea)
2. Korean 7. Spanish 12. Foreign textbooks (USA, Vietnam, Brazil)
3. Thai, Vietnamese, etc * 8. Portuguese 13. Side reader (USA, UK)
4. English 9. Italian 14. Books for Japanese as the second language
5. German 10. Russian 15. Overseas brouchure

*Thai, Bengali, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Malay, Tagalog, Hindii, Urdu, Persian, Arabic, Turkish

Foreign language materials

Books

We are developing our collection of foreign language materials written in Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, English, and Portuguese as our priority languages.

Please feel free to ask which libraries have the book you would like to read, if it has been translated in Japanese, or any question on library materials. → Let's ask a librarian

How to search for foreign language books

We have online catalogue for Japanese"詳細蔵書検索" and English"Detailed Search".

  • As well as library materials in Japanese, you may search foreign language materials by title, author name, publisher, publication year, language, etc.
  • If you check the box "海外資料(foreign book)" on the detailed search page, the system will search materials from foreign books for general users and foreign magazines. To search Saitama local materials in foreign languages, check the box "Saitama local material".
  • Click on a title you would like to read, it will show the "Item details". On that page, you may see "Detailed information" and reserve library materials.
  • We use Romanized data or eliminate accent marks for some of foreign language materials.
  • In the case the book has been published in Japanese version, we can search by the title in Japanese. When you don't know the original title, it would help you.

We wrote some tips to search non-Japanese language books at Web-OPAC (catalogue). Please check " How to search for foreign language books ".

List of books in each language

Click each name of the following languages, our system will turn the result searched by the language name.

Foreign textbooks

We hold about 1,200 textbooks and side readers of 6 countries.
This is the list of textbooks in the Foreign Language Materials Corner.

Magazines

Here is the List of the magazines in the Foreign Language Materials Corner.
Old issues (2 years passed) and the latest issue are in-library use only.

Newspapers

Here is the List of the newspaper in the Foreign Language Materials Corner.
We keep back numbers in 3 years. Please use them in the library.

Information papers from city halls and international associations

This is the list of information papers from city halls and international associations.
Please ask about back numbers at the counter on the 3rd floor.

Title Language Publisher

Friendship News

(Until 2020)

Japanese Saitama International Association
Hello Friends Japanese Fujimino International Cultural Exchange Center
HIFA News Letter Japanese Hidaka International Friendship Association
Information Fujimino Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Korean, Filipino, Vietnamese, English, Portuguese Fujimino International Cultural Exchange Center
IRUMA COM+COM Simplified Chinese, English, Spanish, Portuguese Iruma City, Iruma International Friendship Society

Kokusai Koryu News

(Until 2021)

Japanese Iruma International Friendship Society
Kompeito : Kasukabe International Friendship Association News Japanese Kasukabe International Friendship Association
Koshigaya Messenger Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Filipino, English Community Activity Support Section, Koshigaya City
KUMAGAYA FRIENDS Simplified Chinese, English Public Relations Section, Kumagaya City
MISATO VIEW Japanese, English Assistance for Citizen's Activity Division, Misato City
NIFA dayori Japanese Niiza International Friendship Association

Pulala

(Until 2019)

Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Korean, English, Spanish Saitama city Association for Global Awareness
Shake Hands Japanese Kumagaya International Friendship Association
SIFA Newsletter Japanese Sayama International Friendship Association
TiFA Japanese Toda International Friendship Association
TIFA Newsletter Japanese Tsurugashima International Friendship Association
Tomo×Tomo Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, English Kawaguchi city Cooperative promotion department symbiosis person in charge of multi cultures

Multilingual Lifestyle Guidebooks Produced by Saitama Prefecture and Local Municipalities

We hold Multilingual helpful guidebooks for daily life in Saitama, published by the prefectural and local governments in Saitama. The guides are available for borrowing.

"Nihongo wo manabu" Books on Japanese as the second language

We Saitama Prefectural Libraries support learners of Japanese language to live, work, raise their children in Saitama Prefecture. We have books for learners of Japanese language as the second language.
The languages of the main text are Chinese(Traditional and Simplified), Korean, Vietnamese, English, Portuguese, Thai, Malay, Tagalog, Indonesian, Burmese, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian and Japanese.
For more information, look at the page "Books on Japanese as the second language."

Mini exhibition and events

Mini exhibition and New titles

images of mini exhibition corner

We have foreign book displays corresponding to seasons, certain topics, and newly arrived books. All books can be checked out. Please check "Mini exhibition and New titles" .

Books about Japanese Culture

棚写真.jpgf5cdfbe17c1e4b89670ca078ff545d23.png

Books will help you learn about Japan, providing you information on Japanese society and culture.
If you want to check the books, please see The foreign-language exhibition 'Books about Japanese Culture' (PDF:729.4 KB).

Events

Here is(are) up-coming and finished events.

Let's ask a librarian

Please feel free to ask librarians for assistance when you are looking for materials or information.
You may ask us for information for research and study purpose by e-mail, at the reference desk of each prefectural library, or our website: Reference service

Library Guides (PDF) in 8 languages

We published library guides in the following languages.

Get Adobe Reader The viewing of these PDF files requires the installation of Adobe Reader. Please click the icon "Get Adobe Reader" to download and install the newest free version. The page for download is Japanese.

Statistics of our library holdings for the multicultural service

Book: 21,151 books
including 4,143 in Chinese, 2,135 in Korean, 280 in Vietnamese, 10,543 in English, and 1,044 in Portuguese.

Magazine: 37 titles

Journal: 10 titles

as of March 31, 2023

About us: Section for foreign language materials

As part of the internal reorganization of the prefectural libraries in the fiscal year 2003, the Saitama Prefectural Libraries have established a section for foreign language materials in the Kumagaya Library. We have 2 basic policies: to promote multicultural library services to multicultural populations in Saitama and to provide local residents with opportunities for international cultural exchanges.

Volunteer translators

Thank you for considering volunteering opportunities at Saitama Prefectural Libraries. We are working with volunteer translators in 4 languages (English, Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese) in the fiscal year 2023. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.