About the library

ZhongShan University was founded by Dr. Sun Yat-sen who was the great leader of the Chinese democratic revolution. Zhongshan university library was set up at the same time. In 1953 ZhongShan University Library allocated part of its original collection and combined the whole collection of LingNan College and United part of collections from other universities in Middle and South China Region. ZhongShan University library preliminarily formed its multidiscipline collection system. From then on, the location and building of the Library changed several times following ZhongShan University, even though the building of original LingNan College Library had been occupied for quite long period since 1949.
Now ZhongShan University Library is a system of libraries which are comprised of the Main library, Medical Library, Fundamental and Reserved library, College library (sub-library), Referencing rooms in department and three institutes. The present main library building which was finished in 1982 sets about 14,500 square meters and will be rebuilt to reach total 30,000 square meters before 2004. The Medical library has a scale of 9500 square meters in size and has a collection of 250,000 books and 150,000 volumes of journals, of which, 75% are biomedical subject. It houses 1100 serial titles in Chinese and 850 in foreign languages including 27 titles of main Chinese and foreign abstract or index journals, enjoying a good reputation for its rich collection in medicine in south China. Fundamental and Reserved library was built in 1999 with 36,000 square meters in ZhuHai campus where persons often are absorbed in the charming Scenery of blue sky & Sea, green land, gray mountain, flower nursery. The total built-up area of college libraries and department reference rooms is about 15,000 square meters.

ZhongShan University Library was appointed as one of 16 Social Information Centers in China by the State Educational Commission in 1991 . As one of 8 Regional Centers of CALIS ( abbreviation for China Academic Library and Information System) since 1998, Zhongshan Unviersity Library has been highly responsible for the planning, organization, coordination and implement of co-establishing, co-awaring and co-sharing of information resources among GuangDong province. There has been established the following vocational departments in the main library: Acquisition & Cataloging, Circulation & Reading, Reference and Information, Ancient books Collection, Technical Support and Administration Office of South China Regional Center of CALIS. 15 reading rooms and 1,800 reading seats for patrons are accessible now.

ZhongShan University library hold the top ranking for its collections in South China Region and is one of the strongest of libraries in China. Until 2002 the total amount of the collections is more than 4,170,000 volumes, of which Chinese books and periodicals amounts to 3,160,000 volumes (items), of which books and periodicals in other language amounts to 930,000 volumes (items) and of which ancient books amounts to 300,000 volumes (items). In 2002 Chinese books were added 51,240 volumes and new books in other languages were added 8,632 volumes. In 2002 bounded Chinese periodicals and papers were added 6,212 titles and bounded periodicals and papers in other languages were added 1,706 titles. In 2002 CD-ROM databases were added 50 titles and web-based databases were added 18 titles.

Not only has the collection of ZhongShan University library the features of nearly complete multi-discipline cover, diverse media and integrated collection system, but also distinctive local style. The library contains 2,000 titles (25,000 volumes) of ancient rare books, majority of which are block-printed editions from Ming Dynasty, or the only existing copies in China, or valuable items or pieces with comments by famous figures. Besides, ZhongShan University library also owns 176 titles (968 volumes) of Korean ancient books, 85 titles (831 volumes) of Japan ancient books and 35,000 pieces of stone inscription from different dynasties, which are very precise in China. The periodicals and newspapers published in South China region during the period of late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China are in a rather large and systematic collection part of which are extremely rare in China. ZhongShan University library has been featured by local document collection of GuangDong, Sun Yet-Sen research documents and HongKong and Macao research Materials.

ZhongShan University library inherit the optimized library tradition and the ideal library goals of openness, equality and co-sharing. Adapting "Wisdom and Service" as the library admonition, we are now enthusiastically pitching in providing our patrons with open-shelf, free access and high quality service. Now any patrons from inside or outside the campus can be offered with various sorts of services in our library, such as check-out, on-site reading, interlibrary loan, online international information retrieval, Internet browsing, reference assistance, document duplication, specific entrusted information retrieval, instruction on different topics, CD-ROM or online databases search, OPAC access etc.

ZhongShan University library serves as one of the most significant knots in the campus network. Information Retrieve Hall, Electronic Reading Room and Multimedia Instruction Room with modernized facilities provide praiseworthy service of different type of electronic and web resources. Three self-constructed specific subject databases separately on Educ ation, HongKong and Macao, Pearl River Delta Region have already hold a quite large scale and affection.

ZhongShan University library hold great emphasis on establishing interchange and cooperation relations with both domestic and overseas libraries and academic institutions, and have already obtained good reputation abroad. ZhongShan University library is one of two member libraries in China which have joined the Pacific Rim Digital Library Alliance (PRDLA). ZhongShan University library has been maintaining the long-run friendly cooperation relation with LingNan Foundation of America. 1992 saw the onset of Cooperation project of LingNan Foundation of America and ZhongShan University libraries. From then on, the foundation has already granted ZhongShan University library for two international academic conferences on library science, acquisition of about 100 titles of foreign language periodicals, librarians sent to visit programs in USA (6-12 months/per person, per year) and HongKong (3 months/per two persons, per year), librarians sent to International academic conference, inviting US specialist in library field to China (1 month/per person, per year). Historically, ZhongShan University library has been keeping the intimate and friendly interchange and cooperation relations with academic libraries in HongKong and Macao. Until now, ZhongShan University library has already established inter-library loan(ILL) and document delivery relations with nearly 200 domestic and overseas libraries. Over a long period of time, patriotic overseas Chinese, compatriots in HongKong, Macao and TaiWan, domestic famous figures and overseas friendly organizations have generously and kindly given the development of ZhongShan University library a large numbers of donations and supports. Dr. Liang JieHua from HongKong donated 10 million of yuan RMB to the extension project of the main library of ZhongShan University library in 1999. Mr. Wu Shun-De, an alumnus of LingNan College of HongKong, donated 5 million of yuan RMB in 1994 to built the Wu Shun-De sub-library of LingNan College. Since 1955 the YanBo Bookstore in Japan has continuously been donating their publications to our library (about 400 titles per year), which serves as YanBo Bookstore Specific Collection. Besides, there have also established Prof. Chen Yin-que Specific Collection, Prof. Rong Gen (Paleographist) Specific Collection, Prof. Shang Chen-zuo Specific Collection, Prof. Liang Fang-zhong Specific Collection and Prof. Jiang Li-Fu Specific Collection.

The Medical Library of ZhongShan University Library has a long history of over 100 years as the University does. The staff in the Medical Science Library has been working in various departments of automation, information services, serials, circulation and the administrative office and offers a course "Medical Literature Retrieval and Utilization" to the undergraduate, postgraduate and clinical doctors. The two publications of the Library are called "Collection of Medical Information" and "Bulletin of Global Medical Information".

Since 1995 the Medical Science library has been attaching importance to itself modernization. Information retrieval on Internet, CD-ROM network as well as E-mail has been available in the library since the library local network was connected to the campus network. Being the center of Guangdong provincial medical literature and facing an information era, the library now is going forward to a digital program. ZhongShan University library has always been emphasizing academic research in library field. Before 1949 there once was NATIONAL ZHONGSHAN UNVERSITY LIBRARY WEEKLY published by the main library, which had broad academic influence national-wide.

Presently, we are in charge of editing and publishing COLLEGE DOCUMENT AND INFORMATION RESEARCH, which distributed its first edition in 1994 and is sponsored by GuangDong Academic Library Committee. There are several very famous figures who were successive deans of the library, such as Mr. Du Ding-You, a great master of library science with high reputation for "North Liu (Liu Guo-Jun) and South Du (Du Ding-You)" and "Domestic Du (Du Ding-You) and Overseas Du ( Du wey)", Mr. Yuan Tong-Li is a well-known library specialist. Mr. Chen Yi-Bai is a well-known educationist. Professor Zhou Lian-Kuan who had been working as librarians for a long period is a well-known library specialist, bibliographer, historian and geographer. Mr. He Duo-Yuan is a famous bibliographer.

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