Bibliotheque Nationale: The official library of France, located in Paris. It is also the national library of France and is probably the oldest national library in Europe. It was founded as a royal library by Charles V in 1365. Although the British Museum and the Library of Congress are well-known, this library is historically older.
History of the National Library of France:
After 1500, the French became a united nation. As a result, this library collection began there under the Copyright Act. After the French Revolution in 1789, all those ideas began to emerge, and with Napoleon’s special interest, field and church libraries, private valuable collections, and lesser-known libraries were added to the national collection. In 1795, a special convention declared the reconstituted royal library a national library and dedicated it to the nation. Later, Napoleon’s personal collection was added to this library. A new room was added before the outbreak of World War II.
This room houses the Library of Congress’s depository catalog and also contains commercial, national, regional, and all kinds of special bibliographies. Over the past 500 years, this library has developed through war, purchase, gift, achievement, law, military operations, and other means. This today has been able to hold its head high in the court of the world
Bibliotheque Nationale as an organization:.
The Bibliotheque Nationale has been an organization under the Ministry of Education of the French Republic since 1945. It is currently managed by a director and a general administrator, including the following libraries and departments:
- The Bibliotheque Nationale and the Bibliotheque de l’Arsenal will be reorganized into one department, and the musical libraries of the conservatoire national de musipue and of the opera will be merged into the Department of music.
- The National and University Library of Strasbourg
- The University Libraries
- The Libraries of higher education institution
- Department lending libraries
- Municipal Libraries
All the above libraries and departments operate as one organization in the Bibliotheque Nationale.
Internal administration: Since 1720, the Bibliotheque Nationale was managed under four large departments, but currently the library is managed under nine departments. They are as follows:
- Department of Accession
- Department of Printed Book
- Department of periodicals
- Department of Manuscripts
- Department of Maps
- Department of Prints
- Department of Medals and coins
- Department of Music
- Department of Arts and performance
Finance:
The Bibliotheque Nationale is a large and expensive institution. As its activities are expanding day by day, its expenses are also increasing with time. As a public institution, its income has a fixed rule. The Bibliotheque Nationale receives an annual grant from the government. In addition, its own publication sales, photographic and reproduction and other income are included. Currently, it has over 800 employees whose monthly salaries are directly received from the government. In addition, money is collected in various ways from various national and international funds.
Description of the various departments of the Bibliotheque Nationale
1. Collection Department: These departments are managed by the following departments including the following departments including the copyright law, donation, exchange, collection and self-publishing.
A ) Copyright Law: The first copyright law was issued in 1537 and under this law on June 21, 1943, one copy should be submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs, 4 copies to the Bibliotheque Nationale as a publisher and two copies to the Bibliotheque Nationale for printing. Out of these, the Bibliotheque Nationale keeps one copy and distributes the rest to various special libraries in the country. In this way, 20,800 volumes of books were added.
B ) Bibliographic Cd la France: The entire bibliography collected under the copyright law is published here in three volumes. This bibliography is divided into 10 parts according to the UDC and provides services.
C) Donations and Acquisition: In addition to acquiring materials under the Copyright Act, the library also expands its collection of books, newspapers, and periodicals through donations, loans, and international exchanges. Donations play a crucial role in enhancing the collections, with an estimated 3,500 to 4,000 items added each year through this channel. In 2023, approximately 89,000 books were submitted via legal deposit, showing a significant increase from 64,121 books in 2020.
D) Official Publications: The Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF) publishes an annual activity report detailing its strategic initiatives, collection developments, public engagement, and major projects. The most recent report, covering the year 2023, highlights record-breaking visitor numbers and significant progress on the new conservation center in Amiens.
2. Department of Printed Book: As of 2023, the library has acquired a total of 16 million books and printed documents through the Copyright Act.
3. Department of Periodicals: The BnF maintains an extensive collection of periodicals, including newspapers, journals, and magazines from both France and abroad. These materials are primarily housed at the François-Mitterrand site in Paris, organized within thematic departments that evolved from the former Periodicals Department. As of 2024, the BnF’s holdings include approximately 410,000 journal titles, reflecting the library’s commitment to preserving a comprehensive record of serial publications.
In addition to physical collections, the BnF offers digital access to a vast array of periodicals through its Gallica digital library. Gallica provides free online access to over 5.8 million issues of newspapers and magazines, making it a valuable resource for researchers and the general public.
4. Department of Manuscripts: Antique collections are found in this department. The department’s journey began in 1721. Collections began after the Industrial Revolution. The Bibliothèque nationale de France houses one of the world’s most important collections of handwritten documents, with holdings spanning from ancient times to the modern era, including Western, Eastern, and illuminated manuscripts. Located primarily at the Richelieu site, it preserves over 250,000 manuscripts and is central to research in history, literature, religion, and philology.
5. Department of Prints and Photography: The Département des Estampes et de la Photographie at the BnF is one of the world’s largest image archives, containing over 15 million prints, photographs, posters, and drawings from the 15th century to the present. Located at the Richelieu site, the department plays a key role in preserving and promoting visual heritage through exhibitions, research access, and digitization efforts.
6. Department of Coins, Medals, and Antiques: The Département des Monnaies, Médailles et Antiques, also known as the Cabinet des Médailles, is one of the oldest museums in France, originating from the royal collections of the French monarchy. Situated at the Richelieu site in Paris, it houses approximately 600,000 coins and medals, along with 37,000 artifacts, including ancient jewelry, engraved gems, sculptures, and other archaeological objects.
7. Department of Music: King Louis XV started this department with a large collection in 1726. The department’s collection grew in the 18th century. This department has a collection of over half a million pieces of music.
8. The Department of Maps and Plans : Bibliothèque nationale de France, established in 1942, is dedicated to the preservation, study, and dissemination of cartographic and geographical materials. It manages a vast collection of over 800,000 maps, atlases, globes, and plans, along with approximately 200,000 specialized volumes and 4,000 periodicals. The department also contributes to scholarly research by publishing works on geography and cartography, and it maintains an evolving, publicly accessible catalog of its holdings.
9. The Department of Performing Arts :The Bibliothèque nationale de France is a dynamic center for the preservation and study of theater, dance, circus, puppetry, and cinema. It supports a wide range of users, including artists, researchers, and students, by offering access to extensive archives and spaces for artistic engagement. The department holds over 25 million items, including engraved works, posters, manuscripts, stage designs, and photographs, documenting centuries of French and international performing arts.
The Bibliothèque Nationale is primarily a research library. It is open daily from 9 am to 6 pm, and all its employees receive government salaries and allowances. The number of users per day is 800 to 900. This library is the most important library in Paris, the capital of France, and is known as a famous cultural center in the world.
