The earliest dynasty in China that allowed books to be borrowed and circulated was the Han Dynasty. According to historical records, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty issued a letter to borrow books from the National Library to encourage people to study and carry forward Confucianism. He also founded two institutions, Taixue and Dachengdian, established fifteen Taixue schools and established a complete imperial examination education system. Subsequently, in order to strengthen the management of the library, the library set up a special librarian, which further promoted the circulation of books and dispersed the book resources to all levels of society.

Therefore, the Han Dynasty is regarded as the first dynasty in China. After that, the collection of books in China gradually expanded, and the delivery of books became more and more prosperous. After the development of Tang, Song, Ming and Qing Dynasties, it formed a traditional cultural accumulation with China characteristics.