1. Establishment, relocation and integration on Sakaedani Campus, and ongoing innovation
Wakayama University Library was established in 1949 at the time of the establishment of Wakayama University.
The library succeeded collections of the predecessors of Wakayama University, i.e., Wakayama Normal School, Wakayama Normal School of Youth Education and Wakayama Technical College of Economics which traces its roots to the Wakayama Higher Commercial School.
At the time of its establishment, the library was divided into four places – Central Library, "Masago-cho" Branch Library, "Kainan" Branch Library and "Iwade" Branch Library. After integration of the branch libraries in 1951, the university ran the Central Library and the "Masago-cho" Branch Library on two campuses. Later, at the time of the relocation and integration of the university campuses from "Sekido" (currently called "Nishitakamatsu") and "Masago-cho" to "Sakaedani," a new library was built on the "Sakaedani" campus in 1985. Two years later, the library opened in its current location as the integration of the two former libraries.
Since then, we have attempted to improve library services and enhance facilities in accordance with changing times. Since 2011, we started innovation of the library aiming to strengthen the function of the university library. For example, we put emphasis on developing the role of the university library as a place for students to practice their active learning. For this purpose, we have made a major shift from the library as a material storage facility to the one with enhanced functions of learning assistance , including new facilities: a Learning Commons area, the Multi-Purpose Rooms service, and the Media Rooms.
2. From Library to Crosscul Center
The library building was extended in 2014. The entire building, named Crosscul Center, includes the library, Center for Information Science, Student Center and Center for Human Enrichment.
"Crosscul" is a word coined to combine "cross" and "culture". Crosscul Center is articulated to be a place where new values are created by integrating "local" knowledge and "culture" such as literacy, internationality, regional resources and human resources.
The role of our university library is to collect and store items and provide academic information as well as to prepare a place where students gather and carry out practical learning connected to not only rich regional resources of Wakayama prefecture but also a wide variety of worldwide resources.
The first floor is a "Learning Commons," a collaborative space where students can come together to learn, study, create and socialize. The second floor is a "Gateway of Culture", providing, as a "Crrossroads of Knowledge" reference, consultation, book stacks and study areas for students to acquire knowledge and raise their cultural awareness. The third floor consists of two classrooms and eight group-study rooms. Those are "Designed Spaces for Projects, Dissemination and Communication of ideas" and used for various courses, active learning, and advice for thesis writing. The fourth floor is a "Center for Human Enrichment" providing as a place for students and faculty to gather and study liberal arts.
