The Library of the Postgraduate Institute of Pail and Buddhist Studies plays a major role in the successful accomplishment of this mission. In this regard, the main concern of the Library is to provide those engaged in studies/research in Buddhism and the academic staff of the Institute, with necessary primary and secondary literary sources and other required facilities. In addition, it provides reference facilities to both local and foreign external researchers.

At present, the library contains about 25,000 books, of which nearly 90% are on Buddhism. Library materials are obtained to suit the postgraduate degree courses and research on Buddhism. Therefore, the acquisition of books special focus is laid on Buddhism and its sectarian divisions, Pail Language, Pail Literature, Buddhist Fine Arts, and Buddhist Philosophy etc.

The Library possesses a printed version of the Pail Tripitaka in seven languages namely, Pail, Sinhala, English, Thai, Cambodian, Devanagiri and Burmese. The Library also contains the Taisho edition of Chinese agamas.

Theses submitted to the institute by M. Phil and PhD research scholars are available in the Library.

The students are not permitted to borrow from the reference collection. These have to be used for reference within the library itself. Generally periodicals, dictionaries, encyclopedias etc. are considered as reference books. Other than these books of which only a single copy is available are also put into this category.

However, some reference books are issued to M.Phil. and Ph.D. researchers on a short- term basis. In such instances a reference book is issued for one week, and it is the responsibility of the particular reader to return it to the library on the due date. However, it should be noted that some rare books are not issued even in this manner.

More than half of the total collection of books in the library is found in shelves as Lending Books. Diploma and M.A. reader could retain a lending book for a period of two weeks and one month for M. Phil and Ph. D reader. If a reader desires to ask extension for the book, he/she should produce the book at the library counter before the date it is due to be returned, and obtain an extension. Only one such extension is given for one book.