English Guide to Sapporo Municipal Central Library

Location

Minami 22, Nishi 13, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, 064-8516
Tel 011-512-7320

Opening Hours

	Open	Close
Mon - Fri	9:15	20:00
Sat/Sun/National Holidays	9:15	17:00

Closed

Second and fourth Wednesday of each month
New Year’s Holidays (Dec.29 - Jan.3)
During general inventory

How to use the library

Admission to the library and the perusal of books and other items are free. The library is open to all people.

How to get a library card and who can get it?

If you live, work, or are a student in Sapporo, you can get a library card to borrow materials.
Bring one piece of identification with your current name and address on it.
You will get your card immediately and you can borrow books from any municipal library in Sapporo.
The library card is free.
Children under age 12 are not required to bring any piece of identification to get a library card.

Identification items [Examples]
Residence card, any delivered piece of mail addressed to the person requesting a library card.

What can you do with your library card?

Borrow

You can borrow all loan items, including books, magazines, CDs and DVDs without fee.
Please bring the books and other items you wish to borrow with your library card to a circulation desk. If you forget your library card, you can borrow books and other items by showing your name, phone mumber and date of birth.
Newspapers, foreign magazines, reference books, maps and atlases (marked [館内]) may be used only within the library.

Item limits, loan periods and renewal limits

Material	Item limit	Loan period	Renewal limit
Books, Magazines	10	14 days	1
CDs, DVDs	2	14 days	1

Return

All items can be returned to any municipal library in Sapporo. Books can be returned in bookdrop. CDs and DVDs should be returned to the circulation desk.

Renew

Take items to the circulation desk. You cannot renew by phone. Requested or overdue items can not be renewed.

Request

Get the password at the circulation desk, and you can request materials on the web. You can also do in person at the library.
Request limits

Material	Item limit
Books, Magazines	10
CDs, DVDs	2

What else can you do?

Copy service

Self-service copy machines are available. You can make photocopies of all library materials within the limits of copyright laws.
Fee: Black and white 10yen per page , color 50yen per page. Print from microfilm 50yen per page. 

Collections

Books, magazines and newspapers in foreign languages are shelved on the second floor.
Books: about 20,000
Newspapers: 3
Magazines: 16

List of newspapers and magazines in foreign languages

Newspapers

• The Japan Times
• New York Times
• Renmin Ribao [Chi.] 人民日報

Magazines

• Art in America
• Better Homes and Gardens
• The Economist
• Elle Decoration
• EMPIRE
• LE Figaro Magazine [Fr.]
• Forbes Asia
• Foreign Affairs
• Hiragana Times
• The New Yorker
• Newsweek 
• Rolling Stone
• Scientific American
• Der Spiegel [Ger.]
• Time
• Vogue