Using the library

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q. What time does the library stay open until at night?
  A. The library counter is open until 19:00 on weekdays, and until 17:00 on Saturdays and weekdays during university vacation periods.
  Students, trainees, faculty and staff with university ID cards are able to use certain library services even when the counter is closed.
  Refer to the library calendar for the latest updates.
  Library Calendar
• Q. How do I view journal articles that are not held in the St. Luke's library?
  A. You can order copies via My Library.
  We often see orders for materials that are actually in our library and/or freely available on the internet. So be sure to check that the materials you want are not already available before placing an order.
  Many applications have incorrect information or give insufficient detail. Please try to fill out as many fields in the application form as possible by checking the bibliographic information in the database. It will help us to find your material more quickly.
  If you would like to visit another library to view specific materials, ask our library counter to issue a letter of introduction and make the arrangements.
• Q. The material I'm looking for is classified as 3F Closed Stacks and I can't find it on the bookshelf.
  A. You can browse materials located in the 3F Closed Stacks or 3F Separate Placement provided that the status is marked as Available. At the library counter, provide details of the materials you require (such as title, author, publisher, year of publication and call number/label number) and we will retrieve them for you.
• Q. Can I view Master's or doctoral dissertations?
  Dissertations from the Graduate School of Nursing Science:You can browse Master's and Doctoral dissertations that are marked as Available when you conduct a search on the Lukaco system, though only within the library.
  Final year dissertations from the previous academic year are available at the counter. You will need to check out the dissertation at the counter with your ID card.
  ・Practical assignments for the Graduate School of Public Health (Capstone Project):
  These are available in the university repository.
  SLIU Repository
• Q. Where should I return materials after use?
  A. Materials that have been checked out must be returned to the counter after use.
  Overdue materials should be returned directly to the counter staff, as you will not be able to borrow new materials until the overdue materials are officially returned.
  Materials that have not been checked out should be placed on the book wagons on each floor. Do not return them to the shelves. We keep statistics on the materials that are used. Your cooperation is much appreciated.
• Q. I would like to recommend a book/journal that I want the library to purchase.
  A. Send us your request via My Library.
  Before submitting a purchase request, check that the library does not already have the book or journal.
  Purchases are subject to the approval of the Library Director. For more expensive publications, the Steering Committee of the Center for Academic Resources may also become involved.
  Since the university subscribes to journals on an annual basis, the library invites requests for subscriptions for the following year. Requests are initially screened by the Steering Committee of the Center for Academic Resources, then passed to the Library Director for final approval.
  Deadline for book purchase requests: End of January
  Deadline for journal subscription requests: End of August
  Read the library's collection and management policy before submitting a request.
  You can check the status of your request via My Library. If the library decides to purchase the book, you will be notified via My Library and email when the book is available.
  The User Guide on the Web Nadeshiko Intranet details procedures related to research and education budgets and purchase of materials for business use.
• Q. How long does it take until a book becomes available after I submit a purchase request?

  A. On average, it takes about one month to complete the process. In some cases, your request may be placed on hold and will not purchased by the library immediately. Requests placed on hold will be reviewed at the end of the fiscal year. Note that there is no guarantee that requested material will be purchased.
  

• Q. Can I renew a loan on my smartphone or other device?
  A. To renew a loan, go to the Lukaco mobile site and navigate to My Library > Loan/Reservation Status > Renew. In principle, loans can be renewed only once, and only when no other users have reserved the material.
• Q. Can I check what materials I have on loan?
  A. You can view all materials you have checked out or reserved at My Library. The due dates will also be displayed.
  You can also see the status of photocopy, purchase and document retrieval consultation requests.
• Q. The book I want is in the library's collection but I can't reserve it.

  A. You can only reserve library materials that are currently on loan.

• Q. I want to look for a book assigned in a class. How do I do that?

  A. Go to Advanced Search in Lukaco and look for the field Designated Books (Faculty). Select your tutor or instructor to search for the book.
  Note: You can also use this function to search for books exhibited at the Functional Morphology Book Fair.

• Q. How do I find dissertations from overseas?

  A. In CINAHL and APA PsycInfo, use Limit to narrow your search to dissertations only.
  CINAHL lists Doctoral Dissertations and Master Theses under Publication Type.
  APA PsycInfo lists Dissertations under Document Type.

• Q. I want to find out which library has the book I'm looking for.
  A. You can use Calil to search the collections of public libraries nationwide, or the Tokyo Metropolitan Library OPAC to search public libraries in Tokyo only.
  CiNii Books is a convenient way to search the collections of university libraries.
  ・Calil
  ・Tokyo Metropolitan Library – Integrated Search
  ・CiNii Books
• Q. I want to use electronic resources off-campus.
  A. Some of the electronic journals, electronic books, and databases the university subscribes to can be used off-campus. The Center for Academic Resources page on Web Nadeshiko has the remote access ID and password along with instructions for use. *Note that the ID and password are changed from time to time. Be sure to obtain the latest ID and password.
  *When asked for your email address, use the one issued to you by the university.
  *Electronic journals that the university subscribes to can be found in the electronic resource list on the library website.
  ・Web Nadeshiko – Center for Academic Resources
  ・Electronic resources list
• Q. Can I see a list of the materials the library has recently acquired?
  A. A list of new books that have arrived in the library in the past week can be found here.
  On-campus users can also register Lukaco keywords in My Bookshelf on the My Library system to receive email alerts on new books.
• Q. I'm searching for a journal “Kango Kenkyu (Nursing Research)” in Lukaco, but there are too many search results.

  A. When you use the library website or the quick search function on Lukaco, the search results will include all books, journals, and journal feature articles that contain the words "Kango kenkyu (nursing research)."
  If you know the title of the journal you are looking for, enter it in the Full Title field under Advanced Search.
  Then, select Journals from the Books/Journals drop-down menu under the detailed search criteria to view only journals with the title “Kango Kenkyu (Nursing Research).”

• Q. What does a literature search consultation entail?
  A. This is a one-on-one session with a librarian for about an hour to learn about choosing search keywords, search tools, search methods, and managing bibliographic information.
  The service is available to students, faculty and staff of St. Luke's International University.
  Document retrieval consultations are by appointment only. As a general rule, we accept appointments between 9:00 and 17:00 Monday through Friday when the library is open. Contact us to arrange a time.
  Go to My Library and fill out the form with the details of your request as well as your date and time preferences.
  
  The librarian will contact you by email to arrange an appointment. To avoid disappointment, apply well in advance.
  
  Common consultation queries:
  How can I find the best keywords to search for my subject?
  Which database do I use to conduct certain searches?
  How to use databases
  I tried searching on my own, but I'm not sure if the search is comprehensive enough.
  I want to search for papers written in English, but I don't know how to use the database.
  I don't know how to manage bibliographic data with Excel. I want to learn about reference management software.
• Q. I would like to attend a guidance session but I am not available on that date. Is there any other option?
  A. We can hold a separate guidance session upon your request.
  Please get together with a few people, and tell us what you need guidance on and your preferred date and time.
  Please contact us either at the library counter or via My Library with details of what you need guidance on, your date and time preferences, and the number of participants.
  This service is available only for students, faculty and staff of St. Luke's International University.
  
  Common guidance queries
  -From document retrieval to reference management
  -Searching medical journals and PubMed
  -Saving bibliographic information and bibliography lists using RefWorks
  -Basic overview of medical journals on the internet
  -Introduction to university databases