Shanghai Library, Shanghai

This fairly new library is ranked among the ten largest in the world. It seats 3,000 readers and houses over 13 million books, newspapers, journals, rare Western books, family trees, correspondences, and stone inscriptions. It is also honored as one of the ten symbolic cultural buildings in Shanghai. Technologically innovative, the library is the first in China to have an advanced information management system where coverage, cataloging, circulation, continual publication and inquiry are done by computers. The library also provides online service for surfing the Internet or checking e-mail. Other facilities include multi-functional auditoriums for lecturing and exhibition halls.