"The United Libraries"

Shanghai Central Library System was initiated at the end of 2000 with support from the City Government, aiming to steadily facilitate the informatization of Shanghai.
The system was formally launched in June 2001. By working with each other closely, members of Shanghai Central Library System have succeeded in extending their services to all the districts and counties, and nowadays, communities of Shanghai.
The brand new service pattern of the Central Libraries has displayed great strength and vigor over the past years, especially salient in:
 →The scale and the speed of resource development and sharing;
 →The standard and quality of information resource processing;
 →The promotion and popularization of digital and network techniques;
 →The efficiency and security of information dissemination;
 →The education and training of library staff, and
 →The easy access to information for library users.
 

The Framework of Shanghai Central Library System

 →The administrative, human resource and financial organizations of the branch libraries remain unchanged, whereas the professional cooperation has surpassed the boundaries among public libraries, academic libraries and special libraries;
 →Shanghai Library serves as the main library and other libraries are branches;
 →Based on the network, driven by knowledge navigation, and oriented to resource sharing;
 →"One-card-through" is the major service mode, which allows readers to check out and return books in a nearest branch library;
 →Resources are allocated for the purpose of optimizing the function of all libraries in Shanghai and fully promoting the city information development;
 

The purpose of establishing the Shanghai Central Library System

 →Sharing resources
 →Eliminating the digital divide
 →Meeting readers’ requirements
 →Improving library services