According to the official regulations pertaining to Documentation Center for Urban Studies of Osaka City Universirty , it is stipulated that the purpose of the Center is to accumulate books and documents relating to urban studies covering a wide field , and contribute to re search conducted by faculty , students and other research workers concerned . Though only books and documents pertaining to urban studies field are to be stored , the regulations mean that the Center shall provide for not only the cul tural and social sciences , but also the natural sciences and any other fields relating with urban life and development . Consequently , it is stipulated that , not to mention university faculties and students , the users should include any re search workers concerned , that is, those , irrespective of occupa tional category , from outside the university , who wish to make re search in urban studies . With these stipulations , it is intended that the Center shall become a focal point of the comprehensive research of urban studies .
The Center publishes 'MON THLY CATALOGUE' , 'CENTER NEWS' (quarterly) and 'ANNUAL CATALOGUE' and introduces the documentations accumulated in this way to the research workers with out delay .
The criteria agreed upon by the university for such projects were that they should contribute to the future development of the univer sity , and that they should be operated as a part of an 'OPEN UNIVERSITY' for the general use and benefit of the people of Osaka.
Documentation Center for Urban Studies was founded in the light of these fundamental policies . Helping our plan to establish this center , Matsushita Electric Indus trial Co . , Ltd . and Matsushita E lectric Works , Ltd . most cordial ly agreed to donate the entire building and the city authorities was kindly enough to bear the ex pense of the interior equipment . The construction work had been commenced in February , 1980 and completed in August , and then the Center opened in September .
The completed facility is a three-story building with a total floor area of 894 square meters , and is equipped with four-layered bookstack rooms which has a capaciry of nearly 100, OOO volumes. Featured were conference rooms , an in-service training room and research rooms for common use . While basically responsible for ac cumulating books , periodicals and documents offering them for public perusal , the Center is sup posed to be no less concerned with performing its function as a focal point of education and study .
Toshio Kimura , professor of Ina stitute for Economic Research , took office as the first director of the Center thus founded and a steering committee consisting of faculty members was organized . Owing to the understanding and cooperation of parties concerned , the Center has accumulated as much as 42, OOO documentations in cluding research reports , plans , project-related reports and mater ials for deliberation of central and local governments and research facilities concerned . We have been providing them for the benefit of research workers . The num ber of the users of the facilities such as research rooms for com mon use has been increasing by year . And , in 1981, the syst em of 'COOPERATIVE RESEAR CHERS' was established . These researchers have been participating and helping the activities of the Center . By January , 1995, the number of these researchers has amounted to 225 ( 91 in the univer sity and 134 outside the university) . From 1986, we hold a symposium or lecture meeting pertaining to urban studies every year .