Henderson Library welcomes visitors from Japan

November 21, 2006

A team of researchers from Japan toured the Zach S. Henderson Library at Georgia Southern University on Monday, Nov. 20.

The three-person team is visiting a number of American colleges and universities in order to study the various trends that are leading to the academic library of the future.

‘Here at Georgia Southern, they focused on information literacy as well as our plans for a learning commons,” said W. Bede Mitchell, the dean of the Henderson Library.

The Japanese team was led by Naruki Nagata, a professor in the Graduate School of Library, Information and Media Studies at the University of Tsukuba. He was accompanied by Tayo Nagasawa, who is an assistant professor at Nagasaki University, and Shigetake Kai, who is the manager of the library at Kyushu University.

‘Their specific interests include coping with and managing rapidly changing circumstances, such as innovations in libraries,” Mitchell said. ‘They are also interested in how libraries should prepare for and meet accreditation requirements.”

After a reception that welcomed them to Georgia Southern, the Japanese researchers observed a series of presentations by University faculty and staff, including: Alan Altany, the director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching; Robby Ambler, an instructional technology support specialist in the Emerging Technology Center; Chris Caplinger, the director of the First Year Experience; and Lisa Smith, an assistant professor in the Henderson Library’s Information Services Department.

The visitors were also given a tour of the campus.