The Southeast University Library has a long history and a profound cultural heritage. Over the past century, it has gone through several important developmental stages, including those of the Sanjiang Normal College, Liangjiang Normal College, Nanjing Higher Normal School, National Southeast University, National Central University, and Nanjing Institute of Technology. In 1902, the Sanjiang Normal College established its Library Building. In 1923, the Mengfang Library of National Southeast University was founded as an independent library. During the period of National Central University, renowned library scholars such as Hong Youfeng, Gui Zhibai, Dai Zhiqian, and Liu Yizheng served in the library. In October 1952, the library of Nanjing Institute of Technology was established through institutional adjustment. In May 1988, it was renamed the Southeast University Library. In April 2000, the libraries of the former Nanjing Railway Medical College, Nanjing Transportation Institute, and Nanjing Institute of Geology were merged to form the new Southeast University Library. In March 2007, the Li Wenzheng Library at the Jiulonghu Campus was completed. Today, the Southeast University Library has developed into a research-oriented library with abundant resources, comfortable spaces, advanced technologies, and comprehensive services.

The Library’s collections are rich in content, distinctive in focus, well-structured, and characterized by unique features. As of June 2025, the Library holds 4.916 million printed volumes, 149 Chinese and foreign database platforms (242 sub-databases), 4.06 million e-books, 130,000 e-journals, and 15.9 million electronic dissertations and theses. In addition, it houses a range of special collections, including donations from Mr. Kuo-Ting Li and Mr. Tian Yuan, paintings by Tong Jun, and teaching materials from the former Nanjing Institute of Technology.

The Library’s physical spaces are well designed, fully functional, aesthetically pleasing, and equipped with modern facilities. In Nanjing, it operates the Li Wenzheng Library at Jiulonghu Campus, the Sipailou Campus Library, and the Dingjiaqiao Campus Library, covering a total area of 66,900 square meters with 5,571 reading seats and a weekly opening time of 105 hours. The Library also includes a variety of themed spaces such as the Guoding Reading Room, Tong Jun Art Studio, Fanniu Study, Special Collections Reading Room, Study Rooms, Exhibition Center, Future Learning Center, Chasing Light Theater, group study rooms, and Reading Garden—providing diverse environments for personalized learning and interactive engagement. It is equipped with information retrieval terminals, self-service printing facilities, self-check-in/out machines, consulting robots, digital book arrays, audio recording booths, a silent piano, and smart lockers.

The Library’s information service system is comprehensive, high-quality, user-friendly, and efficiently managed. Adhering to a user-centered philosophy, it offers a wide range of information services including resource discovery, catalog search, book circulation, new book notifications, exhibitions, document delivery, and information literacy instruction. Its digital library provides 24/7 access to online resources and supports remote retrieval of digital documents. The Library also offers advanced knowledge services such as scientific novelty search, subject services, intelligence analysis, patent information analysis, and digital scholarship services. It actively develops branded cultural programs such as “Two Months and Two Seasons” and “Hongsheng Southeast,” and publishes cultural reading series The Compass on the Bookshelf and its in-house digital magazine Shu Leyuan. It also supports the student reading club “Shanyuan Book Society.” Recognized as a “National Reading Promotion Demonstration Base” by the Library Society of China and a member of the “Nanjing City of Literature Landmark Network,” the Library plays a significant role in campus cultural life.

The Southeast University Library currently consists of eight departments: the Resource Development Department, Circulation and Reading Services Department, Subject Services Department, Novelty Search and Intellectual Property Information Services Department, Culture and Special Collections Department, Technical Support Department, Administrative Office, and the Sipailou & Dingjiaqiao Campus Library Services Department. As of June 2025, the Library employs 97 staff members, including 5 with senior professional titles, 16 with associate senior titles, and 51 with intermediate titles. Among them, 12 hold doctoral degrees and 63 hold master’s degrees. Many staff members serve important roles in professional organizations such as the Library Society of China, the Steering Committee for Higher Education Institution Library and Information Work of the Ministry of Education, the Jiangsu Library Society, and the Jiangsu Association for Science and Technology Information. The Library has long emphasized research and has achieved substantial scholarly output, undertaking multiple national and provincial projects and publishing nearly 200 SSCI and CSSCI papers in recent years. It also undertakes graduate teaching and talent training in the field of Information Resources Management.

The Southeast University Library is an important member of several major professional organizations, including the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), the International Association of University Libraries (IATUL), the Library Society of China, the China Academic Library and Information System (CALIS), the Alliance of Excellent University Libraries, the Jiangsu Library Society, the Jiangsu Higher Education Document Guarantee System (JALIS), the Jiangsu Engineering and Technology Documentation Center, the Nanjing University Libraries Consortium (Jiangning District), and the Nanjing City of Literature Library Alliance. It also hosts the Ministry of Education’s Scientific Novelty Search Workstation, the Foreign Textbook Center (Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics), and the National University Intellectual Property Information Service Center. In recent years, the Library has organized numerous national academic and professional conferences and has established long-term collaborations with overseas university libraries such as the Hong Kong Polytechnic University Library.

With determination and perseverance, the Southeast University Library continues to forge ahead toward becoming a professional, intelligent, and excellent world-class academic library.

Library web link：https://lib.seu.edu.cn