Since the new library of Shanghai Library was put into use, it has witnessed active cooperation relationships with libraries around the world and extensive book mutual donations. Initiated in 2002 by the Shanghai Library, the “Window of Shanghai”, as an integral part of the "China Book International"(CBI), aims to introduce the Chinese culture and to promote the Chinese civilization and the charms of Shanghai by providing the overseas readers with more latest Chinese publications. By donating domestically published books to overseas libraries and collection organizations, it grows into a project worldwide to introduce Chinese history and culture to overseas readers in an all-round way, helping to publicize China's long-standing civilization and culture, and new progress since the reform and opening up.
 

Regularly, cooperation is expected to last 3 years, with 500 books comprising the first donation and 100 more at a yearly basis to ensure continuous growth of the collections. Bibliographic records of the donated books, as well as assistance in cataloguing are available on request.

Partners of the project are expected to manage donations in accordance with the reached agreement, and are asked to display books with a visible signage to promote the “Window of Shanghai” collection in special reading rooms or on open shelves of public reading area. For libraries challenged by limited space, books can be integrated into their own collections whereas a highlighted access to the book records in the online catalogue should be guaranteed. Also, the recipient libraries should assure appropriate storage, processing and management of these books, inform the local readers of the gift collections, and provide necessary convenience for reading or loans. Feedbacks to the regular questionnaire surveys issued by the Shanghai Library should be returned in the form of statistics or analytic reports to indicate the circulation, the means of display/loans, the most popular subjects, and the keenest reader groups.

The titles range from arts, economy, people, philosophy, literature, culture, folk traditions and history to nature, cookery, traditional Chinese medicine and architecture, of ancient and contemporary Shanghai and China. Most of them are published in either Chinese or English or both, with additions in French, German, Russian, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Turkish and Vietnamese in order to fit the needs of readers of different mother tongues. All publications are acquired from the most recent domestic copyrights of Chinese publishing houses.

The "Window of Shanghai" was orchestrated to make up for the insufficiency of Chinese language holdings in overseas libraries, and to provide overseas readers with more access to the latest Chinese publications. As feedbacks reveal, these donations have helped strengthen the bonds between overseas Chinese and their motherland, while assisting foreign readers to cultivate a better understanding of China and its culture. The expressed hopes for more Chinese reading materials in foreign lands is also contributive to the popularity of these gift books, whose arrival have timely met the local demands to learn the language and to explore the culture.

The “Window of Shanghai” website was launched in 2007 and later in continuous update and optimization of interfaces and functions. Starting from 2013, in order to comply with the changing of the digital age and the needs of contemporary library reform, the "Window of Shanghai" conducted an innovation activity -- E-book Donation Service, which can be continuously adjusted in content and variety according to the needs of partners and the development of the project itself. This new e-book service, with two types of logon, IP authentication and authorization account, is designed to make faster and more convenient services for overseas readers to access the latest publications from China and enjoy the most advanced electronic reading experience.

In the future, the “Window of Shanghai” will continue to improve the project management and partner maintenance, and be introduced to more and more overseas readers. The Shanghai Library are looking forward to more potential for resource sharing and business cooperation across the global library network made through this project.