A new library, Hirai Kaichiro Memorial Library was opened in Kinugasa Campus on April 1, 2016. The library’s best feature is the entrance and exit gate with automatic check-out, which is the first case in Japan. The Kato Shuichi Collection also opened in the library, a large collection of books, manuscripts and notebooks donated by the family of the late Shuichi Kato, a cultural critic who served as the first director in the Kyoto Museum for World Peace at Ritsumeikan University.

The library derives its name from the late Kaichiro Hirai, the founder of Nichicon Corporation and honorary guest of Ritsumeikan who graduated from College of Law in Ritsumeikan University in 1940. The library was built in accordance with his will through funding donated by his wife, Ms. Nobuko Hirai.

The building has three stories above ground and two basement floors, and has a total floor space of 14,585 square meters. The number of open access books increased from 100,000 to 450,000 as well as the number of seats are now 2,000.

All of the open access books have IC tags and users can check in the books automatically just by holding an ID card over the reader at the gate.