The Nanjing Library is the third-largest library in China, with over 10 million items. It occupies a modern complex near Xinjiekou and is open to the public with a reader's card (available at the front desk). The collection spans Chinese literature, history, and culture, with strong holdings in rare books and local history materials relating to Nanjing and Jiangsu.
For visitors, the main interest is the rare book reading room, which holds manuscripts and printed books from the Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties — some of the library's holdings are uniquely important. The building's public areas are also a pleasant place to escape the heat on summer afternoons, with good air conditioning and a ground-floor café.