Established in October 1951, East China Normal University Library is  a key university academic library, directly under the Ministry of Education of China. It currently consists of the Minhang Campus Library and the Putuo Campus Library, with a total building area of approximately 56,000 square meters. The Minhang Campus Library, officially opened in September 2006, occupies 39,000 square meters.

The library boasts rich collections, encompassing a wide range of print and digital resources from ancient to modern times, both Chinese and foreign. Its holdings cover diverse disciplines such as the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and applied technology, with particular strengths in education, geography, literature, history, and philosophy - the fields that align with the university’s key academic disciplines. These provide robust support for teaching and research, shaping the library into a comprehensive and research-oriented academic hub. By the end of 2024, the library’s physical collection totaled over 5.14 million volumes, including more than 4.25 million books, 422,500 bound periodicals, 346,000 ancient books and documents, 72,300 theses and dissertations, and 55,700 non-book materials. The library also provides access to 172 electronic databases (502 sub-databases), offering over 82,700 electronic journals, 2.87 million e-books, and approximately 8.49 million master’s theses and doctoral dissertations.

In line with ECNU’s development under the “Project 211,” “Project 985,” and the 13^th  Five-Year Plan, the library has continuously enhanced its digital infrastructure. Since 1999, the library has launched the INNOPAC integrated library management system, progressively upgraded library servers, expanded the local area network, and achieved centralized management across both campuses via ECNU network. Both libraries offer electronic reading rooms and user search terminals, with full Wi-Fi coverage, enabling users convenient access to library resources, campus network, and the internet. Remote access to digital library resources for university members is also provided via campus VPN authentication and the CARSI (CERNET Authentication and Resource Sharing Infrastructure).

In recent years, the library has actively participated in national initiatives such as CALIS (China Academic Library & Information System), CASHL (China Academic Social Sciences and Humanities Library), CADAL (China Academic Digital Associative Library), “211 Project” and “985 Project”, achieving outstanding results in areas like online cooperative cataloging, interlibrary loan/document delivery, and the development of specialized databases. It has received accolades including the CALIS Outstanding Contribution Award for Cooperative Cataloging and the CALIS Excellent Service Model Library Award, and has won the CASHL First Prize for Quality Service multiple times.

The library also engages actively in regional and national interlibrary cooperation and resource sharing. In 2001, the ECNU Branch of Shanghai Central Libraries was established, contributing to the regional literature resource collaboration network. In 2002, it became a CALIS B+ level member library for cooperative cataloging. In 2004, it received approval to set up a MoE-level Science and Technology Novelty Search Workstation, and became a member library for CALIS interlibrary loan and document delivery. In 2005, it joined the Shanghai R&D Public Service Platform. In 2006, it became a Subject Center Library for CASHL. In 2009, it was designated as a key unit for the preservation of ancient books at both the national and municipal levels. In 2022, it was selected as a National Intellectual Property Information Service Center for Universities. In 2023, it was recognized as a National Reading Promotion Base by the Library Society of China. Furthermore, the library is an institutional member of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), actively engaging in international exchanges and cooperation.

Through its “Fourteenth Five-Year Plan” development, the ECNU Library is accelerating the construction of a high-quality literature resource system and a high-quality knowledge service system, aiming to achieve a strategic transformation into a smart library. This will provide strong information and service support for the university’s “Double First-Class” initiative, positioning the library as the university’s center for literature and information services, academic exchange, knowledge innovation, and cultural heritage.

Organizational Structure

The library comprises eight functional departments: Collection Development Center, Reader Services Center, Information Consulting Center, Ancient Books Preservation Center, Special Collections Development Center, Interdisciplinary Support Center, Data & Technology Center, and Administration Office.

ECNU Library Academic Committee

Chair: Wu Ruijun

Vice Chair: Duan Shuangxi

Committee Members (in no particular order):

Wu Ruijun, Duan Shuangxi, Guo Jinchi, Zhou Jian, Yu Yaxiu, Hu Wenhua, Zhou Baoming, Xiong Zequan.
Staff Composition

As of December 2024, the library has a total of 113 staff members, including 37 with senior professional titles and 84 holding a master’s degree or above. 99.1% of the staff have an education level of associate degree or higher.

Locations

Minhang Campus Library

Address: No. 500 Dongchuan Road, Minhang District, Shanghai

Postal code: 200241

Administration Office: 021-54344880

Fax: 54342325

Putuo Campus Library

Address: No. 3663 North Zhongshan Road, Putuo District, Shanghai

Postal code: 200062

Administration Office: 021-62232317

Fax: 62579196