Ito Toyo, who is one of the leading architects in Japan, designed the Hachioji Library. Regarding the design of this newly opened library, the entire first floor slopes gently from the front entrance. Its exterior glass walls and large arches allow the contours of the natural environment surrounding the campus to extend into the interior creating an exhilaratingly open space. The first floor features an all-purpose and gallery space available to hold various events and exhibitions as well as a theater area with a big screen. At the back of the first floor, students are able to read the latest magazine issues and view video materials.
On the second floor, there are open access stacks holding about 100,000 books as well as private reading seats and photocopying machines.
The Hachioji Library contains about 77,000 Japanese books, 47,000 foreign books and 1,500 periodicals. A large collection of books covers the special fields of art, design and architecture, ranging from reference books necessary for the university's classes to specialized research materials. In order to enhance its collection, we are collecting catalogues of overseas exhibitions and catalogue raisonnes.
