History

National Taiwan University (NTU) now occupies the site of what was once the Taihoku Imperial University, established in March of 1928 by the resident Japanese. In the same year the Taihoku Imperial University Library was built to support academic research. With the restoration of Chinese rule in 1945, Taihoku Imperial University was handed over to the Republic of China and the university was renamed National Taiwan University.

     The NTU Library as it is today was officially open to the public in November 1998 after 12 years of planning and construction. The new building was designed by Haigo Shen & Partners in the spirit of the original building: robust, symmetrical and retaining the arched windows, gable ends and piazza, the 35,000 square-meter library, with its solid rosewood furniture, designed by the same company, provides a sanctuary for study. The Library has integrated most of the university’s previously dispersed departmental libraries and is now able to provide a comprehensive academic library service. NTU’s scholars can expect longer open hours, extended loan periods, a centralized and expanding collection, increased electronic resources, the first-ever Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS) officially enabled in October 2018, and digitized projects from our special collections and art exhibitions .