Shanghai library is a large-scale comprehensive and academic public library. It was built in 1952. Before 1996, Shanghai Library was located in West Nanjing Road No 325, and it was moved into the new hall in 1996. The site of Shanghai Library was one of the ten symbolic cultural buildings in Shanghai, which is located in the mid-Huaihai Road. It covers 3.1 hectares with 83,000-square-meter architectural areas. The new library buildings are comprised of two tower-style buildings with the height of 106.9 meters and 58.8 meters respectively. Besides, it also includes a five-floor annex building. The new halls were set-off in 1993 and entirely opened in 1997. There are 32 reading rooms and special rooms with the over 3000 seats.

Shanghai science–technology information research center in Shanghai Library is a large comprehensive research library. It is also the first provincial-level library-information combo in China; Shanghai library is one of the ten largest libraries all round the world. Shanghai Library is opened all around year. The number of readers in Shanghai Library is up to 8000 per day. At weekends, tens of thousands of people are there.

Shanghai Library is the library-system center. There are also 32 district or county libraries, university library hall, and special libraries and so on are all administrated by this famous library. The new site of Shanghai Library is comprised of Library information researcher institute, historical document research institute, hall of Chinese celebrities’ manuscripts and hall of artistic research. The library has the world-advanced computer-management system and more than 700 websites from local area network. The overseas networks are also linked with the cyber-system.

The advanced system of satellite-communication antenna-signal receiver is also installed in library. The advanced system of automatic-vehicle for carrying books, electronic transition system for book information searching, Hi-fi audio-visual system, fire-proof alarming and monitoring system and automatic self-control central air-conditioner system and so on are all available in Shanghai Library.