The library was established in November 1900 during the 26th year of Emperor Guangxu's reign, initiated by Hangzhou gentry including Shao Zhang[zh] and Hu Huan. They gained approval from Prefect Zhu Qifeng[zh] to open the Hangzhou Library at the former Dongcheng Lecture Hall site, offering free access to local scholars. It began with 718 titles and 9,499 volumes.[2]:2–3 In 1903, Governor Nie Jigui[zh] transformed it into a government-run institution named Zhejiang Library, expanding the collection to 35,000 volumes.[2]:4–5
In 1909, during the Qing’s Preparative Constitutionalism, Governor Zeng Yun[zh] merged it with the Zhejiang Official Printing Bureau, relocating it near Wenlan Pavilion.[3] By 1911, the Siku Quanshu from Wenlan Pavilion was transferred to the library.[3] In 1912, during the Republic of China, the Gushan branch opened, and the library was renamed Zhejiang Provincial Library in 1913.[2]:9
During the Second Sino-Japanese War, the library moved several times—Jiande (1937), Yongkang (1938), and Lishui (1941)—to protect its collection, including the Siku Quanshu, which was sent to Chongqing. It returned to Hangzhou in 1945.[2]:43 In 1951, the Jiayetang Library collection merged with it, and in 1998, a new main building opened on Shuguang Road.[4] The Zhijiang branch opened in August 2023 within the Zhijiang Cultural Center.[5]
Facilities
The library operates various facilities in Hangzhou and Huzhou:
Shuguang Road (Main Library): Located at No. 73 Shuguang Road, Xihu District, it spans 34,000 square meters and can hold 4.5 million volumes.[6]
Gushan Road (Ancient Books Division): At No. 28 Gushan Road, it includes the White Pavilion (built 1911–1912) and Red Pavilion for pre-1949 materials.[7]
University Road: At No. 102 University Road, Shangcheng District, it serves as a reading room, built in 1929–1931.[8]
Jiayetang Library: In Nanxun, it preserves historical collections.[4]
The Zhijiang branch, opened in 2023, currently holds 300,000 volumes, with plans to expand to 6 million.[5]
Collection
The library’s collection exceeds 6.73 million volumes, including the Siku Quanshu Wenlan Pavilion edition and rare editions from the Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties.[4] It also holds Dunhuang manuscripts and foreign editions from Japan and Korea.[9]
Research and Publishing
The library has published journals such as Wenlan Journal and Library Outlook since 1935, focusing on traditional scholarship and general readership, respectively.[10] In 1936, it hosted the Zhejiang Document Exhibition, displaying over 20,000 items.[11]
↑Fu Hongming (2000). "Zhèjiāng Túshūguǎn Dàxué Lù Guǎnshè" 浙江图书馆大学路馆舍 [Zhejiang Library University Road Facility]. Special Edition. Zhejiang Architecture.
↑Ding Hong; Cheng Xiaolan (2002). "Zhèjiāng Túshūguǎn de Lìshǐ Wénxiàn Shōucáng jí Qí Tèsè" 浙江图书馆的历史文献收藏及其特色 [The Historical Document Collection and Characteristics of Zhejiang Library]. Library Work and Research. 1: 34–37. doi:10.16384/j.cnki.lwas.2002.01.012. ISSN1005-6610.
↑Xie Zhouhua (2006). "Èrshí Shìjì Shàngbànyè Zhèjiāng Túshūguǎn Guǎnkān de Lìshǐ Dìwèi" 二十世纪上半叶浙江图书馆馆刊的历史地位 [The Historical Status of Zhejiang Library Journals in the First Half of the 20th Century]. Library Research and Work. 1. ISSN2096-2363.
↑Yuan Yi (2007). "Bǎinián Cāngsāng Zhēng Diǎnjí" 百年沧桑征典籍 [A Century of Changes in the Collection of Classics]. Library Research and Work. 2.
