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Library Introduction

Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) Library was a merger of the original HUST Library, Tongji Medical School Library and Wuhan Urban Construction Institute Library. HUST Library, formerly known as Huazhong Institute of Technology Library, was founded in 1953. Tongji Medical School Library, originally know as “DeWen Medical School”, was founded in 1907. “Wuhan Urban Construction School Library” came from “Zhongnan Construction Engineering School Library”, which was founded in 1952. When Wuhan Urban Construction School was rebuilt in July, 1981, the library was also reconstructed. When the three universities merged in May, 2000, Wuhan Urban Construction Institute Library was merged into HUST Library, now called “East Campus Library”. The formal Tongji Medical University Library was renamed Medical School Library and merged into HUST Library in October, 2006, now called “Medical Science Library”. The three fully functional libraries have a total floor area of 42642 square meters. After the new extension to the Main Library is put into use, the total floor area will reach 67090 square meters. Now the library collection amounts to 5.36 million volumes (including 1.6 million E-books), which covers 9 disciplines (such as science, engineering, literature, management, medicine and etc.). The collection of the following disciplines has reached the research level: Mechanical Science; Mechanical Industry; Electrical Engineering; Thermal Power Engineering of Power Plant; Metallography; Metallurgical Technology; Electronic Materials and Components; Refrigeration and Cryogenic Engineering; Physical Electronics and Optical Electronics; Computer Devices and Equipments; Industrial Automation; Pattern Recognition and Intelligence Control; Systems Engineering; Communication and Information Systems; Environmental Hygiene; Basic Medical Science; Pathology; Internal Medicine; Epidemiology; Surgery; Obstetrics and Gynecology; Pharmacology. The library has a very comprehensive collection of medical literature in German and urban construction, which is one of the featured library collection.

In recent years, HUST Library has put more efforts to construct documentary resources. The library manages to speed up the development of documentary resources and improve the literature availability and coverage through collecting and integrating E-publications and internet resources, constructing characteristic databases and conducting documentary exchange with other publishers and universities at home and abroad. Thus the information needs of university staff and students could be met to the most. At present, the library has 522 Chinese and foreign databases and owns 1.6 million E-books and 25405 E-journals. Besides, the library also constructs its own characteristic databases like “Chinese and Foreign Bibliographic Database”, “Hubei Union Catalogue Database of Foreign Language Journals”, “HUST Thesis Database”, “Machinery Manufacturing and Automation Database”, etc.

The library has over 40 reading rooms, with about 3300 study places in total, which provides the “complete-open reading service”. The library has 4 electronic reading rooms, equipped with more than 300 computers.

In the past few years, the library has strengthened the construction of the networking environment with the help of “211 Project” and “Action Plan”. Now, a high speed LAN has been established. At present, the three libraries possess over 800 computer terminals and numerous information nodes. The disk array capacity has reached 358TB. With a rapid developing network system, the library has preliminarily transformed from traditional library based on physical collections preservation and service to a modern library abundant in digital resources, which has greatly improved the means and conditions for the readers to access information. The library’s networking system could provide round-the-clock service of high quality for the readers, including bibliographic query, disc retrieval, full-text retrieval of E-resources, online interlibrary loan and document delivery, online information resources navigation, online user education, etc.

At present, the library is honored as “The Excellent Library” and “Research-level Literature Collection Unit” in Hubei Province. It is the core member library of CALIS as well. The library is one of the first “University Scientific and Technological Novelty Search Workstation” approved by the Ministry of Education. What’s more, the library is also the novelty searching unit recognized by the Commission of Science,Technology,and Industry for National Defense and the Ministry of Health.

The library always sticks to the principle of “Readers First, Service First” and abides by the notion of “All for the readers; All for the reader’s convenience”. The satisfaction of the teachers and students is regarded as the highest standard of various library works. It strives to achieve the goal of “Providing information service of high quality for the teachers and students” and go forward to the target of becoming a world-class academic library.

Chinese Wuhan zip code: 430074

Huazhong University of Science and Technology Library

Tel: 87541903  87542239