Books
1 Printed Books
By the end of 2022, the amount of printed book collection has reached up to 8 million in PKU Library (including Central Library, the Medical Library, and the School & Department Branch Libraries). Readers could access the printed books information by retrieving the library catalog system.
Printed books at Peking University Library are arranged according to the "Chinese Library Classification." After retrieval, if the book is marked as available on the shelf, you can obtain the physical copy at the respective section of its call number.
About Chinese Library Classification :
Chinese Library ClassificationChinese Library Classification Tutorial
About call numberAbout locations and hours
2 Electronic Books
The library has subscribed multiple e-book databases in Chinese and other foreign languages. Users can discover and explore e-books under the e-book/e-journal databases guide of Discovery system, or visit and retrieve in a certain e-book database.
E-book Resources Navigation E-book Related Databases Navigation
Reminder: Most e-book databases do not support the users to download or print the whole book, online reading is allowed under a certain local IP range on the campus, and local reading are allowed by using a designated reading tool after borrowing from the database.
Journals
1 Printed Periodicals
Printed periodicals of the library includes current periodicals and bound periodicals, which are distributed in different reading areas or stacks according to the "Chinese Library Classification." After retrieving, if the periodical is marked as available on the shelf, you can obtain the printed periodical at the respective library section of its call number.
2 Electronic Periodicals
The library has subscribed multiple electronic periodical databases of different disciplines, languages and types. You can directly search the electronic periodicals (in Chinese or foreign languages) through the access of Discovery on the library homepage. Besides, you can enter specific electronic periodicals databases to retrieve information.
The Electronic Periodicals NavigationThe Electronic Periodicals Related Databases Navigation
Reminder:
The Electronic Periodicals databases includes full text databases, and the latter ones do not provide full text. All types of periodicals databases can only be accessed or used online within the campus IP range.
Theses & Dissertations
1 Printed Theses & Dissertations
The library has been collecting printed master and doctoral theses and dissertations of PKU students since 1981. Readers can retrieve related information through the library catalogue. These theses and dissertations can be available at the Special Collection Reading Room which located on the 4th floor of the east building of PKU Library.
2 Electronic Theses & Dissertations
(a) Peking University Theses & Dissertations Database
Peking University Dissertations Database collects all master's theses and doctoral dissertations since 2003, and some theses and dissertations from 1985 to 2002 with basic information and full texts. All theses and dissertations with open access can only be read online within the campus IP range.
(b) Yenching University Theses & Dissertations
PKU Library collects over 2600 copies of bachelor and master theses of Yenching University, including many precious manuscripts written by famous contemporary scholars. This collection covers a wide range of disciplines and could be used as reference to the study of modern Chinese society, history, politics, and many other aspects. Readers can search through the Yenching University Theses Database by campus network to read full text.
Other Electronic Theses & Dissertations Databases
Followings are some frequently-used electronic theses & dissertations databases:
中国期刊网博士、硕士论文全文数据库万方学位论文数据库国家科技图书文献中心（NSTL）
ProQuest Dissertations & Theses (PQDT)Full Text --博硕士论文全文数据库（ProQuest）WorldCatDissertations--WorldCat硕博士论文数据库(OCLC)CALIS学位论文中心服务系统
Newspaper
PKU Library has subscribed to more than 100 kinds of printed newspapers which located at the junction of east and west building of the library, on the 3rd floor. The bound volumes of newspapers are collected in the Room 409 of west building. The library also collects a large amount of newspapers published during the Late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, which is important special collection of Peking University Library. Newspapers can only be read within the library.
There are many electronic newspaper in the databases and some of the frequently-used newspaper databases including:
人民日报全国报刊索引（1833-2017）数据库--篇名库（上海图书馆）中国历史文献总库·近代报纸数据库
《大公报：1902-1949》 数据库中国近代报刊数据库British Library Newspapers（大英图书馆报纸， GALE平台）
Newspaper Source--报纸资源数据库（EBSCO平台）申报(爱如生)晚清民国旧报刊
Proceedings
PKU Library collects proceedings related to domestic and international conferences held by scientific and technological institutions and academic organizations. The collection includes various conference publications, such as monographs, series, conference papers, and conference proceedings.
Frequently-used proceeding databases including:
ProceedingsFirst会议录索引数据库(OCLC)Papers First--会议论文索引数据库(OCLC)Conference Proceedings Citation Index - Science (CPCI-S) --科技会议录索引网络版(Web of Science)
Multimedia
The Multimedia Resource Service Platform of Peking University Library contains a large number of audio-visual resources such as lectures, movies, music, drama, course materials, etc.
The Multimedia Resource Service Platform
Reminder: the service is limited to Peking University IP Addresses, if outside the campus,
you can access through VPN.
CDs Attached to Books
For the collection of reference books, computer-related books, language-related books, etc, some came along with the attached CDs. Some of these CDs are provided online through the attached CD management system. Readers can search and download the attached CDs using the campus wifi network.
The access address for the CDs is：http://appendcd.lib.pku.edu.cn/bookcd
You can also find the retrieval page for the attached CDs by clicking "Library homepage -- literature resources -- library's collection resources"
Patents
The patents in the library collections are distributed in several patent abstract databases and patent full-text databases, which are subscribed by the library, as well as some open-access patent databases, and the patent search and analysis platform.
Frequently-used patent databases including:
中国专利检索（中国知识产权网专利免费检索）IncoPat全球专利数据库智慧芽（PatSnap）全球专利检索数据库
US patent fulltext and image database--美国专利全文数据库BVD--Orbis Intellectual Property－全球知识产权数据库INNOGRAPHY
Local Chronicles/Yearbooks
Local chronicles (Fangzhi) are one of the distinctive collections at Peking University Library, which have long historical heritage and extensive coverage. The Local Chronicles published after 1949 are located in Room 409 (Local Chronicles Reading Room), 4th floor of the west building of the library. Those published before 1949 are located in Rare Books Library.
Yearbooks are informative reference books that comprehensively, systematically and accurately document annual events and developments, including important events, documents and statistics, which are continuously published once a year. The yearbooks are located in Room 409 (Reference Book Reading Room), 4th floor of the west building of the library. Yearbooks can only be read within the room. (not for circulation)
Related databases in PKU Library including:
雕龙古籍数据库CNKI中国年鉴网络出版总库中经网统计数据库 中经专网 中经网省级年鉴时序库
Archives
Some important archival databases collected by PKU Library including:
Archives Unbound（珍稀原始典藏档案，GALE平台）Cambridge Archive Editions Online(剑桥档案编研在线)China, America and The Pacific（中国、美国与太平洋，AMD平台）
Digital National Security Archive(DNSA)--解密后的数字化美国国家档案Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) Daily Reports, 1941-1996（美国中情局海外情报档案，Readex平台）Foreign Office Files for China, 1919-1980（英国外交部档案：中国，1919-1980，AMD平台）
Maps
Maps are special resources which play a crucial role in the national economy, defense, culture, education, and other aspects. The Central Library and some branch libraries have rich collections of maps and atlases, covering subjects such as history, military, geology, remote sensing and medicine. These collections serve as important research materials for related disciplines.
Map databases purchased by PKU Library including:
美国国家地图库National Biodiversity Data Centre - Biodiversity Maps（国家生物多样性数据中心 - 生物多样性地图）Digital Lunar Orbiter Photographic Atlas of the Moon（LPI，数字月球轨道卫星照片地图集）ProQuest Congressional 美国政府文献系列数据库（Serial Set Maps,1789- (美国国会地图资料1789-) ）
Chinese Ancient Literature
The PKU Library has a total collection of 1.6 million volumes of Chinese ancient books, including about 200,000 volumes of rare books, and various types of collections, such as local chronicles, genealogies, maps and Dunhuang manuscripts. In addition, there are over 80,000 pieces of rubbings. Mi Ji Lin Lang is the database of Chinese ancient books collected in PKU Library. PKU Library will continually upload information of more ancient literature to Mi Ji Lin Lang.
Click to enter “祕籍琳琅——北京大学数字图书馆古文献资源库”, “学苑汲古——高校古文献资源库”.
祕籍琳琅——北京大学数字图书馆古文献资源库 学苑汲古——高校古文献资源库
Special Collections
Peking University Library, after more than a century of collection and accumulation, possesses a rich nunmber of library resources, including a diverse and substantial collection of special literature. To better organize and explore these special collections and provide improved services for teaching and research, the Special Collections Department (the precursor to the current Special Collections Resource Service Center) was established in 2005. Currently, the special collections encompass over 30 types of documents, totaling more than 500,000 volumes, formed their own characteristics and advantages.
The special collections at Peking University Library are closely tied to the history and academic traditions of Peking University. Peking University's predecessor, the Imperial University of Peking, was a product of the Hundred Days' Reform and took the lead in introducing Western Learning. Before and after the May Fourth Movement, Peking University became a focal point for the New Culture Movement and the dissemination of Marxism. During the late Qing and early Republican periods, Peking University made significant contributions to modernizing Chinese academia. A substantial number of special collections in Peking University Library are closely related to these periods of history.
Furthermore, following the restructuring of faculties in 1952, collections from Yenching University, Sino-German Society, and Sino-French University were integrated into Peking University. These collections included valuable special documents such as Western rare books, Western Oriental studies, and greatly enriched the library's special collections.
Peking University's special collections are characterized by their rich and diverse types of resources and can be roughly categorized into several major types:
1. Late Qing and Republican Era Documents: Including Chinese-language books, Chinese-language periodicals, and domestic and foreign-language newspapers published in the late Qing and Republican eras. These collections contain a significant number of periodicals and newspapers, providing crucial documentary references for understanding China's modernization process and social transformations.
2. Peking University-Related Special Collections: Comprising works by individuals associated with Peking University, dissertations, books and gifts from famous personalities, and manuscripts of notable scholars, and other non-book materials.
3. Western Special Collections: Encompassing Western rare books, semi-rare books, Western Oriental studies, and collections inherited from the Sino-German Society and Sino-French University, as well as the European Union documents, among others. These collections include over 2,000 volumes of pre-1800 Western rare books, with the earliest book dating back to 1533. The Western Oriental studies special collection, passed down from Yenching University, comprises nearly 20,000 volumes and serves as an essential resource for studying the history and culture of China and neighboring countries.
4. Revolutionary Literature: Reflecting Peking University's profound revolutionary tradition, this collection includes rare documents such as early translations of the Communist Manifesto, complete works of Marx and Lenin, and the earliest editions of Mao Zedong's Selected Works .
5. Other Special Collections: These encompass non-PKU related books and gifts from renowned scholars, including books donated by Hou Simeng, Fang Zhitong, Yu Dawei, Fokker, and Annan, as well as miscellaneous valuable special collections. These specialized collections are highly valuable for both collection and research.
Course Reserves
Printed References
The library provides reference books designated by all the teachers of the curriculum every semester, which are centrally stored in the General Knowledge Reading Hall. Paper printed reference books can be borrowed for 2 days, and can be self borrowed and returned in the General Knowledge Reading Hall.
Electronic Course Reserves
To fulfill the demand of course construction, this service has integrated digital processing project and book recommendation system of PKU Library. Teachers can make appointments for e-resources in the library and upload personal digital resources, while students who selected the courses will have access of the references for online reading and labeling.
Digital Teaching Reference Service
Other Collections
In addition to the above types of collections, the library also has a rich variety of other collections material, such as musical scores, standards, statistical Data, CDs, other visual materials and etc.
New Arrivals
The latest Chinese printed books are collected in the New Arrivals Hall on the 1st floor of the east building, near the south-east gate of PKU Library. Books here can only be read within the room.
In the New Arrivals Hall, four special bookshelves in the shape of four Chinese characters "学"(XUE), "堂(TANG)", "典(DIAN)" and "藏(CANG)" exhibit the latest books published by core publishers in academic fields such as the Commercial Press, Social Sciences Academic Press, China Social Sciences Press and Zhonghua Book Company. These four publishers have reached partnership with our library, so that readers can access to the new books as soon as possible. The latest books published by Peking University Press are displayed on the logo shelf of Peking University.
Readers can get information of the latest Chinese and foreign books online via the new book platform. Books can be browsed by selected subject, Chinese Library Classification, owner library, or arrival date, etc. Most new books have bibliographic information and links to the library OPAC.
