As a large comprehensive provincial public library in China, Chongqing Library is the primary center for the acquisition, circulation and service of the municipal literature and information as well as a window for the city's foreign cultural exchanges.

The forerunner of Chongqing Library was the National Roosevelt Library founded by the Chinese government in 1947 in honor of the president of the United States, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who made a great contribution in the World Anti-fascist War. It was one of the only five national libraries at that time when its founding was supported by the peace-loving people of the world. The literature of the library, which had been collected since then became the cultural treasure of the city and even the country, laying a solid foundation for its later development into a renowned library with national influence. 

As a literature resources guarantee center of Chongqing, Chongqing Library has already formed a particular system of collecting resources spanning a wide spectrum of social and natural sciences. It has a total collection of over 4.6 million volumes and over 240 staff members, amongst whom over 30 hold a master's or a doctor's degree. Chongqing Library has been selected on the list of the first National Ancient Books Protection Centers and ranked among the National A Level Libraries by the Ministry of Culture of China. Among its other titles are the National Civilized Unit、National Culture Advanced Unit、National Exemplary Collective for Off-farm Workers and National Model Base for Nationwide Reading. Its collection is categorized into three features which have a big influence at home and abroad.

Feature 1 - Publications during the Anti-Japanese War    The Library has 76,611 kinds and 177,621 volumes of publications during the Republic of China, among which there are 30649 kinds and over 70000 volumes of Publications at the time of the Anti-Japanese War. It is the first library in China whose publications at the time of the Anti-Japanese War have been fully digitized and can be consulted online. It is one of the libraries which collect the most complete books and journals during the Anti-Japanese War in China.

Feature 2 - Ancient Rare Books    It has a collection of 442963 volumes of Chinese ancient literature since the Song Dynasty, among which 424 kinds are rare copies. At present, more over 200 precious rare books have been selected by the National Precious Ancient Literature List. The quantity and quality of these ancient books rank among the top in China.  

Feature 3 - United Nations Documents    It  was designated as the United Nations Depository Library shortly after the founding of the National Roosevelt Library. It was one of the two earliest UN depository library in China. In 1999, Chongqing Library was granted to be the full UN documents depository library.

As a well - known city with more than 3000 years of history civilization, Chongqing boasts the profound culture and extensive local literature. Chongqing Library has put much emphasis on the acquisition, classification and research of the local literature since its first establishment which formed a comparatively integrity, mainly collecting various local and regional literature in Chongqing and Sichuan Province such as gazetteers, books, newspaper and periodicals, family trees, music scores, calligraphy and paintings.

Located at 106 Fengtian Road, Shapingba District, the new library building covers an area of 30,000 sq. m with a total floor space of 50,000 sq.m, which has been open to the public since June, 2007. Designed by the American PEA company as a horizontal U shape, the whole building is composed of three main parts, namely, the East Hall, the West Hall and the Conference Hall. The East Hall holds the six - storey reading area, while the West Hall holds the three - storey multi-functional area. The two halls are connected by the 416 - seat Conference Hall where even simultaneous interpretation can be delivered due to its exemplary lighting and PA systems. With a traditional Chinese courtyard in the center, the whole library building appears modern and comfortable to be deeply loved by the readers.

Besides fully-equipped reading rooms specialized in Chinese books and periodicals, local literature, publications related to the Republic of China, ancient rare books, UN deposits, foreign language books, e-books, video-audio materials and microfilms, Chongqing Library also offers reading rooms for children and visually impaired people, let alone its service fronts open to the public such as the Anti-Japanese Literature Exhibition Hall, the Conference Hall, the Multi-functional Hall and so on. There are total 21 service areas for the public. With classrooms, a cinema, a restaurant, a café and a hotel, 3000 reading seats, 1500 phone and network interfaces and the Wi-Fi access inside the building, Chongqing Library serves as an ideal place for scientific research, reading, studying and information exchanges.

Chongqing Library keeps updating itself with the exemplary technology and applications,  using  DLIBS system, the advanced domestic literature resources integration application system to streamline its operations. Since Chongqing Digital Library were open to the public, a series of the modern digitized services have been made as followed, including the 24 - hour Self-service Library, the RFID Self-service System for Borrowing & Return, the Mobile Phone Library, the Multimedia E-Newspaper Reading Machine, Electronic Library Machines, 3D Digital Library for the Chinese Anti-Japanese War Literature.

Chongqing Library is open to the public free of charge while its self-service library and digital library provide 24-hour free services. The full-text digitized publications during the Republic of China can be consulted in the library's local area web with an online catalogue as well. Aiming at extending its mode of service, Chongqing Library has established an interlibrary loan system among the libraries in Chongqing and offered several influential service items, such as Chongqing Library Lecture, Chongqing Library Exhibition, the Sunflower Kids' Reading Safari, Micro-world in Chongqing Library, Dandelion Dream Bookstore and Accessibility Service Developing.

Chongqing Library attaches great importance to international cooperation and exchanges. It has already set up Chinese book corners entitled the Window of Chongqing in overseas libraries in Britain、Spain、Russia、Germany、Thailand. Chongqing Library also serves as the City's Branch Center for the National Cultural Information Resources Sharing Project, the Municipal Ancient Books Protection Center and Chongqing Historical Literature Center for China's Anti-Japanese War. In addition, it provides other public libraries in Chongqing with professional training and takes charge of the daily administration of the Chongqing Library Association. Chongqing Library is the backbone of the public libraries in provincial city.

With a mission to upgrade its building, facilities, services, management and readers to the first-class level, Chongqing Library is stepping up efforts towards the goal of spearheading in the western region of China as well as among the best nationwide.