The first forum of Asian chief librarians will be held during the forthcoming 13th Asia Arts Festival, which is to be held from November 18 to 22 in Kunming. It would be a great opportunity to display the public libraries of Kunming.

Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province, has seen a boom in the development of librarianship in the city for the past few years.

Public libraries in the city have greatly enriched their library resources and have gradually popularized their digital network resources.

They have boosted an ever-improving public service to local residents. Various activities have been held to promote reading among local residents. The admission-free policy is also in full operation nowadays.

An evaluation of all the public libraries above the county level in the country was performed by the state Ministry of Culture in 2013. Among the 14 evaluated public libraries of Kunming, 6 of which were rated at the first level, 1 at second level and 7 at third level.

Today, we are introducing some characteristic libraries about their locations and basic service information in the city.

Yunnan Provincial Library

Characteristic: it boasts its collection of 580,000 local literatures, ancient documents, and ethnic literatures.

Class Level: first-level

Established Time: 1909

Service Phone Number: 0871-5323851

Location: No.141, South Cuihu Road(翠湖南路), Wuhua District

Collection of Books: over 2.6 million literatures

Service Hours: most of the reading rooms are opened to public from 8:00 to 17:00 all the week. Click hereto consult more detailed information(Chinese).

Kunming Municipal Library

Characteristic: it is crowned as the most innovative and most people-oriented library in the city.

Class Level: first-level

Established Time: 1919

Service Phone Number: 0871-63313960

Location: No.115, Zhichun Street, East Ring Road, Guandu District

Collection of Books: 820,000 accumulated literature collections, 80,000 electronic books, and four kinds of database resources.

Service Hours: from 8:30 to 19:00 from Monday to Thursday; from 8:30 to 12:00 on Friday; 9:00 to 17:00 during weekends.

Branch libraries of the Municipal Library of Kunming:

A. Jinniu Community Branch Library

Characteristic: it is the first branch library that implemented computer management in Kunming.

Established Time: July, 2004

Location: Jinniu Housing Estate(金牛小区), Dianchi Road(滇池路), Xishan District

Collection of Books: over 12,000 books; more than 120 kinds of newspapers and periodicals

B. Yulun Branch Library & Legal Education Base

Characteristic: it is the first branch library established for a specialized group of people, the prisoners who serve their sentences in Yunnan's Second Jail in Kunming.

Established Time: August, 2005

Location: Yunnan's Second Jail, Beijiaochang(北教场), Wuhua District

Collection of Books: 43,584 books and 10,225 periodicals

C. Workers' Branch Library

Characteristic: it is the most time-honored branch library in Kunming

Established Time: April, 2008

Location: 6th floor, Block A, No. 198 East Renmin Road, Panlong District.

Collection of Books: 16,000 books, 72 kinds of periodicals, and 28 kinds of newspapers.

D. Dounan Branch Library

Characteristic: it is the first flower & plant -themed library throughout the country

Established Time: November, 2011

Location: Dounan Flower and Plant Base, Chenggong District

Collection of Books: has over 1,000 collection of books

E. Chennong Agriculture Branch Library

Characteristic: it is the first agriculture-themed library around the country.

Established Time: September, 2013

Location: Chennong Ecological Park(晨农生态园), Xiaoxingce Village(小兴册村), Luoyang Street(洛羊街), Kunming's Economic&Technology Development Zone

Collection of Books: 2,400 agricultural books.

F. Boya Branch Library(博雅书屋)

Characteristic：it mainly services for officers and their relatives of a troop stationed there.

Establish Time: May, 2013

Location: Dabanqiao(大板桥), Guandu District

Collection of Books: more than 30,000 collection of books, over 150 kinds of periodicals, and over 20 kinds of newspapers.