The Shanghai Library, which also houses the Shanghai Institute of Scientific and Technological Information, is the municipal library of Shanghai, China. It is the second largest library in China after the National Library in Beijing. At 24 stories and 348 feet tall, it is the second tallest library in the world, as well as one of the largest. The building has a tower that looks like a giant lighthouse.
Early History: The Xujiahui (Zikawei) Library
The Bibliotheca Zi-Ka-Wei is the first modern library to have been established in Shanghai. It was established in 1847.
Mergers
In 1925, Shanghai East Library, the first library run by Chinese, was opened. In 1950, the Shanghai Cultural Heritage Managing Committee launched a campaign to collect books and after about a year, the collection grew to more than 200,000 volumes. Many scholars and celebrities contributed and some of them made large donations. The committee also started to buy books from abroad. After the mission schools and scientific establishments had been taken over by the Chinese government, the last foreign Jesuits left Xujiahui in 1951. The Xujiahui Library, along with other libraries formerly run by foreign groups, was placed under the control of the Shanghai Municipal Library, which had been established on July 22, 1952. This was the first large municipal public library in Shanghai. Marked the Shanghai library career in the founding of new China has taken a historic step. The library had a collection of more than 700,000 volumes. the Shanghai Municipal Library of Historical Documents, The Xujiahui Library, which reopened in 1977, also became a branch of the Shanghai Library. It was the second largest comprehensive public library in China, in terms of collection, services, and professional expertise. In October 1995, the Shanghai library merged with the Shanghai Institute of science and technology information, and became the first provincial level library and information association.
Ancient books protection
Shanghai library has compiled 130 volumes of ancient books, 160 thousand,the Ming and Qing Dynasties in modern letters 118 thousand. A large increase in the collection, fully illustrated by the care and support of all sectors of society, the Shanghai library for the collection and preservation of traditional cultural heritage of great importance.
Library in the modern era
Shanghai Library merged with the Institute of Scientific and Technological Information of Shanghai in October 1995. It became the first ever library in China that combines public library services with SciTech and industry information research functions. It is operated with a high efficient book transportation system type Telelift to handle the huge volume of books per day. Today, it is the largest public library in China and one of the ten largest libraries in the world. It was opened to the public on December 20, 1996. It covers 3.1 hectares of land, with a floor space of 83,000 square meters.
Internet access
On the ground floor, there are three computers. Each can be accessed via reader identity card for 2 hours a day.
