Ocean Library

    The Library is the largest comprehensive marine scientific and technological one in China. It also acts as the Marine Archives Center. It is the sole high-level information institution outside Beijing. The Library was founded in 1958. With rich holdings and advanced techniques and equipment, the library has become the national center for the collection, processing, storage, retrieval and service of books, periodicals and literature in the field of marine science and technology. It has provided effective services for marine S&T research, marine economic development and marine policy-making. 

1. Business Scope

• Collection, processing, storage, retrieval, service and international exchange of domestic and foreign marine S&T books, periodicals and literature; 

• Receiving, management and service of and technical guidance and supervision and professional training on national marine S&T archives;

• Compilation and publication of such periodicals as "Marine Science Bulletin", "Marine Information", "Ocean Abstract", "China Ocean Yearbook", "International Marine Science Newsletter", "Collected Oceanic Works", etc.;

• Undertaking national marine scientific and technological new-achievement check;

• fulfilling the duties of Marine Scientific and Technological Information Consultation and Service Center for the Chinese Society of Oceanography and the National Marine Book and Information Coordination Committee Office;

• Reporting the information on marine and fishery literature of China as the China's National Center for the Aquatic Science and Fisheries Information System (ASFIS) of the United Nations;

• Fulfilling the duties of the China's National Documents Depository Center of UNESCO' s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC);

• Carrying out the international exchange of marine books and information as a member of International Association of Marine Science Library and Information Center.

 2. Holdings

    Over 100 thousand volumes of marine S&T books (in Chinese and foreign languages), over 2000 kinds of Chinese and foreign periodicals, 20 thousand pieces of marine data and charts, 2000 sets of photos taken by satellite,80 sets of marine S&T films and 50 sets of audio-video tapes.

    The holdings involve all the fields of marine science and technology. The Library also holds the whole sets of the archives on the National Coastal and Tidal Flat Resources Investigation and the National Sea Island Resources Comprehensive Investigation, and other marine S&T archives.

3.  Service

    Catalogue, reading, retrieval, borrowing and lending among libraries, reference and inquiry, scientific and technological new-achievement-check consultation, duplicating, etc.

4.  International Cooperation

    The Library has established the relationship with over 170 organizations and institutions of 35 countries in publications exchange. In 1985,as the representative of China, the NMDIS joined in the ASFIS and became one of its National Partners.  "Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstract" (ASFA) is the major product of the ASFIS. As the ASFA National Input Center in China, the Library provides the ASFA with over 1000 volumes of information on the periodicals, books and others included in its input scope published in China publicly. The ASFA products from the ASFIS include: periodicals, databases on CD-ROMs and magnetic tapes and so on, among which the ASFA database on CD-ROM was the first one in China.

Foreign guests visiting the Marine Library	Holding ASFA Advisory Board Meeting in NMDIS

5.  Database

    A practical computer-aided oceanic documents (in Chinese and foreign languages)  retrieval system was established and its database includes more than 1.4 million volumes of records. The database on magnetic tapes has been used early from 1984. The system passed the examination organized by the SOA in 1986 and provided users with the computer-aided retrieval service. Now, the main databases in this system include:

• China Oceanic Documents System (CODS) Database 

• Ocean Abstract (America) Database on magnetic tapes

• ASFA Databases on CD-ROM and magnetic tapes

• Marine and Freshwater Resources Database

• Oceanographic Literatures Recommendations (OLR) (America) Database

    The Library has two large reading rooms,1 Sun5 workstation,6 PC (586) and scanner, laser printer, etc. which supply computer-aided and manual retrieval. The oceanic documents in the national and international comprehensive and professional on-line databases (established by the Library) and CD-ROMs and those in the form of book can be retrieved to 15 years ago. The Library is the important site for the readers to get marine scientific and technological information and the important base and window of marine public service in China. The marine information workers in it are endeavoring to find much support so as to develop, use and expand the information resources, improve the development of the automatic service system, realize the
information sharing and rapidly provide the information service. The Library warmly welcome you to visit or contact by correspondence.