Catshanghai

“Knowledge is power” or so that is what written on the walls in multiple languages throughout Shanghai Library. As I was queuing up this afternoon to get my membership card, I was feeling neither knowledgeable nor powerful. You see, I am rather tired this weekend and the instructions for joining the library are not that clear and explicit for foreigners. Plus, the queues at the registration desk are noisy, chaotic and full of pushing just like at any busy Chinese railway station. That said, I queued up patiently for 30 minutes and was guided through the form filling process by a very helpful desk clerk. 15 minutes later, the ordeal was over and I became a full card carrying member of Shanghai Library.

The building stands proudly at the corner of Huai-Hai Lu and Gao-an Lu, a few minutes walk from Hengshan Lu Metro Station. It is a beige, modern two tower structure that nods towards Shanghai and China’s past in a way that looks like a cross between a cathedral and Orwell’s ministry of truth. I am not quite sure if I like the exterior design, but it works by fitting in as a prominent, cultural landmark.

Inside the library is light and airy as a peaceful place to read a book or carry out some research. There is a reading room on the fourth floor for foreign publications and periodicals, but I was a little disappointed by its range of English language technology titles. The books they have, are rather old and they mostly seem to be about wireless communication protocols. The reading room does have a good range of newspapers and magazines, although the editions on display were at least a month old. The fourth floor has a few terminals linked to online journals, but overall you can easily find more relevant and upto date information on the Internet. I would still recommend the library as a good environment for study and reflection, but it is not without its limitations.

Here are a few things worth bearing in mind when you come to Shanghai Library.

1. Full membership gives you access to all the reading rooms and allows you to book out publications to take home. Full membership costs 60 RMB a year, but you also need to pay 1000 RMB deposit. Bring your passport as proof of identity.
2. Opening hours are from 9am to 8.30pm, Monday to Sunday. However, the reading rooms and the registration desk close at 5pm and 3.30pm respectively.
3. There is an Internet room (open until 8pm) on the ground floor that is only 2 RMB to use for 30 minutes. You have to give out your passport number and contact details. Libraries do not tolerate anonymous web surfing.
4. There is a coffee shop on the ground floor, but Casbah Coffee is across the road and that is the finest place for pizzas and sandwiches in Shanghai.
5. The library has an English language website (http://www.library.sh.cn/new-eng/), but it is poorly designed and very difficult to navigate. The search bar is absent from some pages and the online catalogue (i-PAC) is only available in Chinese.
6. Shanghai Library’s address is 1555 Huai-Hai Lu (on the corner of Gao-an Lu), Tel:021-64455555
   Chinese address: 地址：上海市淮海中路1555号, 邮编：200031, 电话：021-64455555转各分机, 传真：021-64455001