Recently, dozens of library visitors went to the "Oriental Academy" area on the second floor of the Shanghai Library East Hall, to listen to classical music played through high-end audio equipment and enjoy a comfortable and elegant musical experience. This activity was a public test for visitors before the official opening of the Shanghai Library East Hall.

　Atrium on the second floor where people can listen to music

After completion and opening, the Shanghai Library East Hall has a floor area of 115,000 square meters making it the largest single library in China. With seven above-ground floors and two below-ground floors, the library provides nearly 6,000 seats, meeting the cultural needs of more than 200 lectures and thousands of various academic activities every year. The annual reception of readers can reach 4 million.

Few people know that the Shanghai Library's collection of old records totals around 210,000, with categories ranging from wax cylinders from the late 19th century to vinyl from the 1990s, making it second to none in China in terms of both variety and quantity. In the future, audiovisual enthusiasts can also enjoy immersive reading activities on the fifth floor of the Shanghai Library East Hall.

Why does Shanghai Library East Hall focus so much on the theme of music?"Our understanding of reading is never in a narrow sense. Reading is not only visual, but also auditory and tactile. The digitization and visualization of reading content brings a broader reading mission," said Chen Chao, director of Shanghai Library.