The Regional Universal Library named after Abai of Semey is one of the oldest libraries in Kazakhstan. In the second half of the 19th century, in October 1883, a public library was founded in the city of Semipalatinsk with the assistance of political exiles.Abai Kunanbayev contributed to the opening of the public library and was its regular reader. The patrons of the library's opening were Semipalatinsk merchants.

In the year of its foundation, the library had 274 copies of books, 130 readers used the library. In 1902, a free reading room was organized, which was named after the great classic of Russian literature in connection with the 50th anniversary of the death of Nikolai Gogol. 

In 1906, by decision of the library commission, the free reading room was combined with the public library.

Arriving in Semipalatinsk, Abai, first of all, visited the library, in winter he stayed for a long time in the city to read books of interest to him, and in summer he took the necessary newspapers, magazines, books and transported them over the passes of the Chingiz Mountains to read in his native village. Reading and rethinking, Abai introduced the Kazakh people to the works of European and Russian classics through his poetry.

The fund has preserved about 5,000 valuable rare printed publications published in the second half of the XVIII-XIX and early XX centuries. The pride of the library are the books that Abai read, publications about the region, scientific works of the Semipalatinsk department of the West Siberian sub-department of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society, lifetime works of the Kazakh intelligentsia and periodicals of Soviet times.

Information related to the life and work and social activities of the great Abai can be found in books published during the poet's lifetime, such as "Report of the Council of the Society for the Care of Primary Education in Semipalatinsk for 1893/1894", in the III issue of "Notes of the Semipalatinsk Department of the Russian Geographical Society for 1907", in the article N.Ya Konshina "What the Semipalatinsk archives can give for local history" published in 1927 in the 16th issue of the notes of the Semipalatinsk Department of the Russian Geographical Society, in a collection published in 1915 in the typogafia of merchant P. Pleshcheyev's "Agricultural and economic survey of the Semipalatinsk region for 1914", as well as in the "Report of the Semipalatinsk Department of the Russian Geographical Society from October 1, 1924 to October 1, 1925".

The library's collection contains rare periodicals: the Semipalatinsk Regional newspaper "Semipalatinsk regional Gazette" for 1894; an appendix to the newspaper "Stepnaya Pravda" for October 1923 under the name "Shakhta", since 1929 under the name "Priirtyshskaya Pravda", in 1932, 1934 "Sotsialdy Shygys", since 1935 Semipalatinsk Regional newspaper "Ekpindi".

The fund of rare periodicals is supplemented by regional newspapers: "Ekpindi Altai" – Katon-Karagai district in 1939, "Priirtyshsky Kommunar" in 1935 - Kirovsky district, "For Bolshevik collective farms" in 1939 in Zaisan district, "Socialist Maidan" in 1939 in Ulan district and the newspaper "Turksib" in 1937 - Turkestan administration- Siberian Railway.

In different years, the readers of the library were the writer Mukhtar Auezov, akdemik Kanysh Satpayev, abaiologist, scientist Kayum Mukhamedkhanov, Azilkhan Nurshaikhov, etc.

By the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated December 8, 1992, the library was named after the great Kazakh poet Abai Kunanbayev.

In 1995, the library became a member of the IFLA - the International Library Association and participated in international conferences held in Turkey, Ukraine (Crimea), Norway, South Korea, and Canada. 

In 2011-2023, the library participated in various international, republican congresses and conferences organized in the cities of Astana, Almaty, Karaganda, Ust-Kamenogorsk, Pavlodar, Semey, the National Academic Library of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Central Scientific Library of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan, S.Amanzholov East Kazakhstan State University, S.Toraighyrov Pavlodar Regional Library, Karaganda regional Youth library named after J.Bekturov. 

In 2013, on the eve of the 130th anniversary of the library, the "Abai Spiritual Center" was organized, which systematically introduces library users to books that Abai Kunanbayev once read.

In 2017, in honor of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Alash autonomy and the creation of the national government of Alashord, the Abai Library created the Alash electronic library. 

On the eve of Abai Kunanbayev's 173rd birthday, the library organized a literary exhibition on the theme "Our Abai" in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan.

The library of 2018-2021, with the support of the Akimat of East Kazakhstan region, implemented the project "Abai Alemi". Since 2023, with the support of the Akimat of the region, Abai has been implementing the Abai Zholy project. Within the framework of the project, books by authors of the region are published, which replenish the book fund of 137 libraries of the region.

During the two-week visit of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Kemelevich Tokayev to Semey, the collection of rare editions of our library was presented.

The library took part in the IV-Eurasian International Book Fair "EurasianBookFair – 2019" in Nur Sultan and the VI–Eurasian International Book Fair "EurasianBookFair – 2022".

In 2021, at the festival "Spiritual Heritage – 2021", the library became the winner in the nomination "For contribution to the replenishment and development of the national electronic library of Kazakhstan".

Each book stored in this center of spiritual enlightenment, which has been serving the people for more than a century and giving spiritual food to every reader, has its own story. About 5,000 books stored in the library's rare editions fund make up the library's gold fund. The collection of rare editions of the library includes Russian book editions of the 2nd half of the XVIII - early XX century, local history literature of the early XX century, records of the Semipalatinsk department of the West Siberian Department. The Imperial Russian Geographical Society, published in the XIX — early XX centuries and related to our region and consisting of periodicals of the Soviet era. Of particular value is the rare collection of the library, consisting of the works of great writers and works of the Kazakh intelligentsia. J. Spencer, Mill, J. G. Lewis, A. Wallace, W. Wavell, the works of Western European thinkers, researchers who studied the Semipalatinsk region, B. Gerasimov, E.P. Michaelis, N.Ya.Konshin, G.N.Potanina, F.Zobnina, A.Sedelnikova, E.Shmurlo, V.Sapozhnikov, Kazakh intellectuals A.Bokeikhanov, J.Akpaev and others can be found scientific articles. 

Western classical literature, rich sources of writers of the golden age of Russian literature, great scientific monographic works of national thinkers such as E.Bekmakhanov, S.Asfendiyarov, who became victims of repressive policies, and public figures who formed the golden age of Kazakh literature S.Seifullin, B.Mailin, I.Zhansugurov.

The library's shelves contain works published during their lifetime by A.Ermekov, H.Dosmukhamedov, J.Kuderin. In addition, the Russian "Sovremennik", "Bulletin of Europe", "Russian Bulletin", "Pedagogical collection", "Social East", "Ekpindi", etc. A rich fund of periodicals is preserved.

The total fund is 392193 copies, in Kazakh – 87338 copies.