The East Asian Reading Room may be used by any member of the Library but is intended primarily for those wishing to consult material from the Chinese, Japanese and Korean collections. The reference books in Chinese, Japanese and Korean are located in the East Asian Reading Room.
It is part of the Aoi Pavilion 青井亭, which was officially opened on 8 June 1998 and named in recognition of a generous benefaction from Mr Tadao Aoi 青井忠雄. In addition to the East Asian Reading Room on the first floor, the Aoi Pavilion contains the Library's collections of Chinese, Japanese and Korean material in two bookstacks on the Ground Floor (open stacks) and Basement (close stacks), together with two Seminar Rooms, and two offices for the staff of the Library's Chinese Department and Japanese and Korean Department.