The University Library was first built in 1919. After two major expansions, the library now has a floor space of 38,500 sqm and a collection of 3.38 million volumes of books, 14,000 kinds of electrical journals in Chinese and English, over 180 databases and thousands of audio and video material. Sourcing of materials has been made easier through their efficient document and information service system. The library also provides both domestic and international online retrieval of information services for readers.

Construction of the new five-floor library was completed in 1991. The design project was a cooperative effort between the Research Institute of Architectural Designing and the Architectural School of Tsinghua University.

Rising through the center of the 20,000-plus square meter library is a four-story catalog hall. In addition to more than 20 rooms of books on a variety of specialties, there are smaller reading rooms, exhibition and lecture halls, and many comfortable lounge areas.

To retain the unique style of the original building, the new library was built with the red bricks and blue tiles. But instead of duplicating the numerous arched windows in the old library, the new library has only a few arched gates outside its entrances.

The new library has won many top awards, including First Prize in the National Architectural Design Competition in 1993.