Overview

The history of the Library of South China Normal University can be traced back to the library of the Xiangqin Normal College which was established in 1933. In 1939, Xiangqin Normal College library was renamed as the Library of the Liberal Arts College of Guangdong. On the eve of the founding of the People's Republic of China, the library building occupied an area of 3,576 square meters and housed a collection of 100,000 books. In 1951, based on the Library of Liberal Arts College of Guangdong, the Library of the South China Teacher College was established assembling books and related equipment from the Teachers College of the National Sun Yat-sen University and the Education Department of the Private Southern China United University. In 1952, the Education Department of the Private Lingnan University, the Education Department of National Guangxi University, the Geographical Specialties of Hunan University, the Teachers Department of Nanchang University, and Hainan Normal College were incorporated into South China Teachers College, and their books and related materials were acquired as well. In 1980, the library was expanded to 8,356 square meters and 1,300 seats. In October 1982, the South China Teachers College was renamed South China Normal University, and the library was accordingly renamed Library of South China Normal University. 

After more than 80 years of development, the Library of South China Normal University has now created a pattern of “one school, three libraries”. The total area of three libraries is 82,000 square meters with more than 5,100 seats. By the end of December 2017, the library boasted 3.96 million volumes in printed collections, 11.32 million e-books, and 39,000 electronic journals, while featuring a collection of educational literature, and ancient books covering all disciplines. There are about 140,000 ancient books, 6,000 volumes of rare books, and 1,600 local chronicles in the library, entering the top-ranked universities in Guangdong Province. In 2009, the Library of South China Normal University was approved by the State Council as a “National Key Protection Unit of Ancient Books”.

The library adheres to the idea that “the reader is the sky, the resources are the land, service is the ladder”. In addition to providing traditional lending, reading and reference services for the readers, it also provides inter-library loan and document delivery, user training, check and search, space services, subject services, decision-making services and other multilevel and multiform services. The library actively participates in the development of campus culture, creates brand activities such as the Boya Salon, Xingzhi Forum, Classics Forum, reality book club, etc.. The library implements entrance guard, card management, easy borrowing and returning and offers integrated services of collecting, borrowing and reading books, achieving joint contribution, mutual knowledge and sharing of literature resources among the three libraries of the University. With the development of education in China, the library is moving towards building itself into a first-class comprehensive normal university library and becoming the university's document information center, knowledge sharing center and cultural activity center!

Learn more at the website of SCNU Library (in Chinese).

Contact

Library at Shipai Campus:

Zip code: 510631

Tel: (020)85211400

Library at University Town Campus:

Zip code: 510006

Tel: (020)39310112

Library at Nanhai Campus:

Zip code: 528225

Tel: (0757)86687793