Chiang Mai University Library welcomes not only students, faculty members, and university personnel but also members of the general public. It offers automatic free public-access services enabling visitors to use library spaces and explore available learning resources, supporting educational opportunities for school students, lifelong learners, and the wider community.
This commitment to accessibility is reinforced by digital services that allow users to discover academic knowledge beyond the physical library. The University's Digital Information Repository and other electronic resources provide access to theses, dissertations, scholarly publications, e-books, newspapers, and periodicals.
Chiang Mai University Library welcomes not only students, faculty members, and university personnel but also members of the general public. It offers automatic free public-access services enabling visitors to use library spaces and explore available learning resources, supporting educational opportunities for school students, lifelong learners, and the wider community.
Learning Spaces and Extended Access
The Central Library is located on Chiang Mai University's main campus, within convenient reach of major academic buildings and faculties, including the Faculty of Science, Faculty of Economics, Faculty of Social Sciences, and College of Arts, Media and Technology. To accommodate students, staff, and visitors, the library operates from Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and Saturday to Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., excluding public holidays.
The Central Library provides public access to a wide range of reading and study facilities across all four floors of the building. These include individual study rooms and group study spaces designed to accommodate diverse learning needs, alongside access to books and other publications. In addition, the dedicated Living Space can host events with a capacity of up to 300 attendees, enabling the Library to serve as a multifunctional space for meetings, educational activities, and broader community engagement beyond individual study. These services are freely accessible to the wider community without requiring advance reservations, user registration, or document submission. This ensures convenient and inclusive access, allowing everyone to benefit from the Library's facilities and services at no cost.
To support students preparing for examinations, the Central Library extends its operating hours during designated Reading Weeks. Beginning one week before midterm and final examinations, when regular classes are suspended to allow students to focus on exam preparation, the Library remains open 24 hours a day until the final day of examinations. Food vendors are also arranged outside the Library to provide convenient access to refreshments throughout this intensive study period. This extended operating schedule also benefits the wider university community by providing round-the-clock access to the Library's study spaces and facilities. These provisions demonstrate the University's commitment to providing flexible learning environments that respond to students' academic needs.
Smart Library Services and Digital Convenience
To enhance the convenience and accessibility of its library services, Chiang Mai University integrates digital technologies into everyday library operations, enabling users to access academic resources both within and beyond the physical library. The University's Digital Information Repository and other electronic resources provide access to a wide range of academic materials, including theses, dissertations, scholarly publications, e-books, newspapers, and periodicals.
In addition, Chiang Mai University offers a book borrowing service, allowing users to independently borrow books by scanning or entering the barcode printed on each book or presenting it at a service counter. Users can also conveniently monitor their borrowing status through the CMU Library website. To further support digital accessibility, the university provides the @JumboPlus Wi-Fi 6 network across the Central Library and faculty libraries. Maintained by the Information Technology Service Center, this network ensures convenient connectivity for users accessing digital learning resources and online services throughout the university. Together, these services help reduce barriers to library use and provide flexible ways for users to access information and manage their learning activities.
Chiang Mai University Library also encourages its users to participate directly in developing its collections through the CMU Book Recommendation PLUS+ platform. All users, including students, faculty members, researchers, and members of wider community can recommend Thai- and foreign-language books for acquisition based on curricular requirements, research interests, emerging academic fields, and university strategic priorities.
The recommended subject areas include food, health, elderly care, the environment, energy, life-skills development, inspirational content, and Lanna innovation. Users are encouraged to check the Library's PRIMO database before submitting recommendations to minimize duplicate acquisitions. Notifications regarding acquisition decisions are communicated through the CMU LINE Official Account and the dedicated book recommendation page.
This participatory approach helps ensure that the Library's collections remain relevant to the needs of its academic community and support evolving educational and research priorities.
Integrated Discovery and Inclusive Learning Resources
At the center of the Library's information services is PRIMO SEARCH, automated public access service without requiring prior registration, a unified discovery system that helps users search across a broad range of academic and educational resources. These include the Digital Repository of university research outputs and publications, e-books across disciplines, international electronic journal databases, current and archival digital newspapers, and multimedia learning resources.
The Library also provides dedicated services for students with disabilities, reflecting its commitment to inclusive access to learning and research resources. Combined with public-access services and a network of faculty libraries, these provisions extend learning opportunities beyond the University's enrolled population and support a diverse community of users.
Beyond its academic collections, Chiang Mai University Library also contributes to the preservation and dissemination of Northern Thailand's cultural heritage through its Lanna Cultural Heritage Database and Lanna Knowledge Repository. Both resources are accessible through the Library's main website, providing the public with convenient access to cultural knowledge and heritage materials without requiring prior registration.
These resources bring together knowledge relating to Lanna culture and traditions across a variety of topics, including traditional costumes, wellness, music and media, gastronomy, cultural heritage, arts and crafts, and festivals. By making these resources available online, the Library supports cultural learning, encourages wider appreciation of local wisdom, and helps preserve Lanna knowledge for future generations.
A Network of Faculty Libraries Across the University
In addition to the Central Library, Chiang Mai University maintains a network of faculty libraries that supports specialized learning and research across different academic disciplines. These libraries extend the University's library services throughout the campus and provide free access to academic resources for the public.
The faculty libraries include:
- Faculty of Agriculture Library
- Faculty of Dentistry Library
- Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences Library
- Chiang Mai University Business School Library
- Faculty of Nursing Library
- Faculty of Medicine Library
- Faculty of Pharmacy Library
- Faculty of Humanities Library
- Faculty of Fine Arts Library
- Faculty of Science Library
- Faculty of Engineering Library
- Faculty of Education Library
- Faculty of Economics Library
- Faculty of Architecture Library
- Faculty of Social Sciences Library
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Library
- Faculty of Agro-Industry Library
Together, the Central Library and its faculty library network provide a broad foundation for academic study, research, and knowledge sharing across the University. Public access arrangements and specific service conditions may vary by location.
Advancing Lifelong Learning Through Accessible Knowledge
Through its combination of physical collections, digital repositories, smart library technologies, specialized learning spaces, cultural heritage resources, and faculty library network, Chiang Mai University Library demonstrates a sustained commitment to making knowledge more accessible and supporting lifelong learning.
By serving students, university personnel, researchers, and the general public, the Library extends the University's educational mission beyond the classroom and campus community. Its continued development as a Smart Library reflects an aspiration to cultivate informed, capable, and lifelong learners—supporting the vision of a Smart Library that helps develop Smart People.
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