The Library for Social Sciences consists of the Main Building founded in 1933, Stack Buildings and Administration Building. Later a part of Frontier Building founded in 2004 (B2F-2F) was integrated.

The Main Building was designated as a registered tangible cultural property in 2003. The Library for Social Sciences has a high reputation for materials specializing in social sciences, including a collection inherited from the old Kobe Higher Commercial School.
The first floor of the main building can be used as an active space for group discussions and other cooperative learning activities, while the other spaces can be used as silent spaces for reading and self-study in a quiet atmosphere.
The entire building can be connected to the university-wide wireless LAN.

1F

社会科学系図書館1階の地図

2F

社会科学系図書館2階の地図

Stacks

社会科学系図書館書庫の地図

The stacks hold about 1.3 million books mainly focusing on social sciences. Stacks consist of Building A-C and a part of Frontier Hall for Social Sciences.
The entrances to stacks are located on the 1st floor in the Main Building and the Browsing Room. The former connects to the 1st floor in Building C, and the latter to the 1st floor in Frontier Hall for Social Sciences.
Members of Kobe University who have library or student cards are allowed to enter the stacks.
Please ask at the information desk if you forget to bring your card.
You cannot bring baggage into the stacks. Please use the lockers near the entrance to the stacks (Keep hold of wallets or other valuables).
For visitors: please ask library staff at the information desk to take books from the stacks on your behalf.

The Nippon Decimal Classification (NDC, new classification) was introduced to the Library for Social Sciences in 2004.
Books acquired before 2004 are organized according to the original classification used at the Library for Social Sciences (old classification).

Notes: Japanese books and foreign books are located on different shelves even if they have the same call numbers.
The Japanese books under NDC are located in the Browsing Room and 1st floor of Building C. Foreign books under NDC are on the 2nd floor.
Bound journals are located on the basement floors of the Frontier Building. They are organized by title.

Old Classification

See example 1. The combination of the first two numbers indicates its classification and the last number indicates the acquired sequential order.
ex.1) 5-2-17304 → 17,304th book in Class 5 – Division 2

New Classification

See example 2.The first number is three digits or longer. This is followed by two Roman alphabet characters (indicating authors’ initials).
ex.2) 331-MA-1 →1st book of MA- author in NDC 331