Shanghai Library was first founded in 1952 on the original site at the crossroad of Nanjing Road and Huangpu Road. The new library at the crossroad of Huaihai Road and Gaoan Road, with a total floor space three times of that of the former building, was opened on Dec.20, 1996. 

The library has a seating capacity of 3,000 and a collection of more than 13,000,000 volumes of books. It is ranked among the 10 big libraries in the world, and the top in China for its collection of contemporary Chinese and English newspapers, rare editions of Western publications, genealogies, letters and model correspondences, calligraphy models and rubbings from stone inscriptions. There are 23 reading rooms. Publications on open-shelves are over1,000,000 copies. There is also an open-shelf book store with 300,000 Chinese publications for loan. At the entrance of the library there is multi-media reader- guiding system. The reading rooms and public areas are equipped with different kinds of microprocessors and public inquiry terminals, providing readers with information and data in and outside of the library. 

The library is the first electronic-controlled library in China that has introduced an up-to-date information management system; the gathering of material, cataloging, circulation, continual publication and public inquiry are all computerized. It has also developed the system of disc storage of material and pictures, established different kinds of specialized databases, electronic reading rooms and directory for metropolitan information. The multi-functional lecture hall, academic lecture hall, exhibition hall and the theater installed with simultaneous interpretation facility are all open to the public.