The document is a request for comments on web archiving of Japanese company websites (shashi). It discusses the crisis of information loss as companies go bankrupt and vanish from the internet. It proposes collecting company URLs, collaborating with archiving organizations, and applying for a grant from the Library Advancement Foundation to fund the archiving efforts. It suggests establishing a "Japan-America Network for Japanese Shashi Development" to apply for the grant and further the work of preserving Japanese company websites and histories.
The document discusses the saveMLAK project, which aims to archive information about libraries damaged in the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The project has collected information from over 800 damaged libraries via a Wikipedia-style wiki with 300 editors. It provides a character-based searchable database of this information across 18 prefectures. The project significance is that it focuses specifically on libraries and covers a wide region of Japan's Tohoku area impacted by the disaster. The presentation encourages support and donations to continue the project's archiving and support efforts.
This document summarizes trends in Japanese libraries and the impacts of changes in the Japanese government. It discusses the National Diet Library's large-scale digitization efforts, expanding digital collections including magazines, newspapers and digital publishing. It also covers how libraries are redefining their role as a "place" and concludes with an overview of remarkable players and organizations that have advanced Japan's digital cultural initiatives and ubiquitous library platforms.