Brief Introduction

Founded in 1912, Sun Yat-Sen Library of Guangdong Province has a history of over 90 years. It is the only provincial public library named after Dr. Sun Yat-Sen.

Sun Yat-Sen Library of Guangdong Province is significant for its abundant local literature, good services, active development of literature, advanced system and active public relations. The library now has a collection of 3.8 millions volumes/pieces among which 2.3 million are new and old paper-backed books, 385, 000 thread-bound ancient books, 200,000 foreign books, 28,000 kinds (400,000 volumes altogether) Chinese and foreign periodicals, 2,700 kinds (150,000 volumes altogether) newspapers in Chinese and foreign languages.

There are more than 20 reading-rooms in the library, among which the Reading Room of Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan Materials is greatly welcomed by readers. From 8:30-22:00 each day, the library is visited by readers at an average of more than 8000 and the check-out publications reach the volumes of 18, 000. Most of the rooms are operated mainly in an open-shelf way with computer management. Computer retrieval and reference service with database in CD-ROM disc are provided for readers. Readers may directly search for the collections of the library by computer access.

In 2000, the library successfully developed the Chinese digital library (www.zslib.com.cn) to provide virtual reference service for readers of the whole world. 4.6 million pages downloaded each day, the digital library makes great effort to develop various information services and to provide high level and good quality information service for government, enterprises, research institutes, schools and other organizations.

By importing the National Central System of Shared Resource and enlarging the Guangdong Digital Library, Sun Yat-Sen Library of Guangdong Province has set up the biggest group of databases including 800,000 electronic books of "SuperStar", 120,000 electronic books of "21d media", 15 million periodical theses, 120,000 doctoral or master’s dissertation, 170,000 theses of academic conference, several hundreds of multimedia television programmes and movies and more than 30 literature databases. Everyday, the Digital Library provides 8.1 million on-line pages, answers more than 600 on-line questions and transmits more than 2000 books and periodicals distantly which are on the first position of the country.

Sun Yat-Sen Library of Guangdong Province has been developed as a literature collection and service center, a computer network center, an inter-coordination center for libraries and a center of library professional training and study.

Address: 213 Wen Ming Lu, Guangzhou, P. R. China

Telephone: 8620-83830676

Fax: 8620-83831667

Website: http://www.zslib.com.cn