A rare work of Antoninus Pierrozzi (1389-1459) held at Nanzan University Library

The Nanzan University Library incorporates the two main libraries at the Nagoya and Seto campuses in addition to the libraries of the University's research institutes and centers. Access rights to the individual libraries are subject to status, but the general policy of the library is to make the library's resources available to as large a constituency as possible. Information concerning use of library facilities is available in the form of User Guides, which are available from either of the main libraries and are also available online in PDF format via the library's Web site on the Internet.

The Nagoya Library comprises five floors, two at basement level and three above ground level. As of April 2004, it has holdings of 592,000 books and 14,000 periodical titles. Materials in the library are divided between the reading rooms and stacks. Members of the library have open access to the reading rooms, while access to open stacks is permitted up to thirty minutes prior to library closing time. Materials may be taken from shelves and perused freely. Library opening times during term time are 8:45–22:00 from Monday to Friday and 8:45–20:00 on Saturdays. Outside term time, the library is open 8:45–22:00. More detailed information is available in the Library User Guides and in the Nanzan University Library calendar. Changes at short notice are made public via the library noticeboard and the library's Web sitet.

The library's holdings include not only publications in hardcopy but also electronic journals and Web-based materials. These electronic resources can be accessed via the online journal database located on the library's Web site. The University Library's holdings are largely available via a computerized catalogue, which now includes all acquisitions since April 1985. During the 2002 academic year the library's open public access catalogue (OPAC) was updated and its functions expanded. Known as the NeoCILIUS Knowledge OPAC, it is now available as an online catalogue of library holdings with search facilities available for monographs acquired since April 1985 as well as all periodicals and reference works at the Nagoya Library and for all materials held at the Seto Library. Materials held by each of the University's research centers and institutes as well as those held at Nanzan Junior College are also included in the online catalogue.

The CAN Consortium of private universities was set up by the libraries of Chubu University, Aichi Gakuin University, and Nanzan University to coordinate library activities. With “CAN” as its catchphrase, the consortium is seeking to expand its cooperative activities in order to realize common objectives and benefits.