Library of the Sorbonne

The library of the Sorbonne (officially inter-University Library of the Sorbonne ) is a Parisian Bibliothèque in inter-University matter. It owes its name with its principal establishment within the Sorbonne. The Library of the Center of geography, located 191 street Saint-Jacob, is attached to him.

History

The library of the Sorbonne was created in 1770 under the name of “library of the university of Paris”. It is then installed in the buildings of the Louis-the-Large, current college Louis-the-Large Lycée. The funds initial combines the old library of the vice-chancellor Jean-Gabriel Petit of Montempuis, part of the library of the college and those of the 28 removed Parisian colleges. It is then supplemented by purchases. The university is removed in 1793 and the documents of the library are moved with the literary Dépôt says “Louis-the-Culture” (current church Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis). Some manuscripts are then withdrawn from the unit to join the National library, but the deposit grows rich by external contributions, in particular of goods confiscated with the Condé, the Maison of Red and the Montmorency.

Finally, the old beginning again college of the activities of teaching, it is decided, starting from 1796, to reinstall the books of the deposit there “Louis-the-Culture”. With the creation of the colleges in 1802, the library takes the name of “library of the colleges of Paris”. In 1808, it becomes for the first time the “Library of the Université of France”.

In 1823, the library moves on the other side of the street Saint-Jacob to settle in the Sorbonne, in the buildings of the 17th century. In 1844, Philippe Bottom is named with the head of the library; until in 1860, it does not spare its efforts to improve the situation of the library, with important acquisitions, a reorganization of the collections and the creation of five sections. In 1861, the library takes again the name of “Library of the university of France”. Leon To disavow, which succeeds Bottom, of 1860 with 1885, continues the same policy.

At the time of the construction of the “Sorbonne news” under the direction of Henri-Paul Nénot, it is decided to rebuild the library. Work lasts of 1885 with 1901.

By the decree of June 28th 1910, library of the Sorbonne is attached to a vaster unit called “Library of the university of Paris”. This library is made up of five sections:

the section Letters and the Sciences section are in the Sorbonne;
the section Medicine, located at the medical college, corresponds to future the inter-University Bibliothèque of medicine;
the section Pharmacy, located at the faculty of pharmacy, corresponds to future the inter-University Bibliothèque of pharmacy;
the section Right, installed within faculty, is future the Bibliothèque Cujas.

Of 1930 with 1970, the library of the Sorbonne is the seat of the Library of the university of Paris and has a librarian as a chief. In 1970, the modern scientific collections (since approximately 1945) are transferred to Saint-Victor (called soon Campus of Jussieu) to form the scientific inter-University Bibliothèque of Jussieu (BIUSJ).

In 1972, the Library forms, with the Bibliothèque of art and of archeology, the Bibliothèque Holy-Genevieve and the library of the sick students, a inter-University library has. In 1978, it finds its autonomy and receives its current name. By the same decree, she sees herself entrusting the library of the Institut of geography and the library Victor-Cousin.

Buildings

The library is installed with the Sorbonne in the building which gives on the main courtyard, vis-a-vis the main entrance. The room of reading occupies the first stage of this body of building. Of a 62 m length, it comprises fifteen cross giving on the court. In the center the office of the porters and, side court, the “presidency of room are”. The room proposes 264 places of reading. The two ends of the room give access, on a side to the credit department, other, in the room of the catalogs. On the second floor the old library of Victor Cousin is installed, which is used as place of consultation of the reserve.

He is also attached the library of the Center of geography, located 191, street Saint-Jacob.

Statute and organization

The library of the Sorbonne is a documentary service interétablissements of co-operation commun run at the universities of Paris 1, Paris III, Paris IV, Paris V and Paris VII. Its operation is governed by the convention signed in 2000 between the five universities. The Université Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne is the establishment of fastening.

Authorities of the university its council and the director. The council includes/understands:

35 members being entitled to vote

presidents of the five universities;
ten teacher-researchers, is two per university;
five staff representatives scientific of the library;
five representatives of the other categories of personnel of the library;
five students, one by university;
five external personalities;

with advisory voice

the director
the accountant of the university Paris 1
directors of the SCD of the universities partners and the director of the Bibliothèque Cujas
the conservative of the library Victor-Cousin and that of the library of the Center of geography (except if they are elected under the scientific personnel).

The council fixes the general rules of operation of the library. He studies and validates the documentary policy and all the activities of scientific or documentary partnership. He examines the budget and the financial account, but the definite decision on the matter returns to the board of directors of Paris 1.

The director of the library is named by the minister in charge for higher education; he is generally selected in the body of the preserving of the libraries. He has authority on the affected personnel with the library and is directing secondary of his budget. He is in charge of the management of the library to the daily newspaper, but also to prepare and carry out the decisions, according to the case, of the council or the board of directors of the university of fastening.

Collections

The Library of the Sorbonne inherited the collections made up since 1770, except for those which were distracted from it, in particular for sciences. Nevertheless, these collections former to 1950 are as rich in the field of the hard Sciences as in that of the letters and social sciences. General practitioner in social sciences, the Library however stressed some “fields of excellence”: the History (except Modern history), the Geography, the Philosophy and the French Literature. In these fields, it acquires French and foreign monographs with use of research.

Beyond these “fields of excellence”, the library acquires documents in religious sciences, like in language and literature English, German, Spanish and Italian.

The Library has more: 18000 Thesis S printed, like: 15000 on Microfiches.

Rich person of: 17750 periodic titles of on paper, including 4370 alive (and among them a vast majority in foreign languages), the Library also gives access to many titles of electronic periodicals.

CADIST

The Library of the Sorbonne constitutes a Center of acquisition and scientific and technical information circulation (CADIST) since 1983, initially with the title of only the Modern history, and since 1992 for the modern history and the medieval history. Being the medieval history, the speciality of the Sorbonne is rather in the Early middle ages, the university of Poitiers treating the central Middle Ages more. Since 1989, the Library of the Sorbonne is also CADIST with the title of the geography.

Old and invaluable Funds

Under the old or invaluable funds, the Library has into clean more than 2500 Manuscrit S, as well as the Archives of old the Université of Paris, more than 5000 Estampe S and more: 400000 pounds old.

The Library Victor-Cousin includes/understands nearly 500 manuscripts and: 30000 printed. The collection known as “Richelieu” includes/understands files relating to the family of Richelieu, in particular Louis François Armand de Vignerot of Plessis, duke of Richelieu and Armand Emmanuel of Plessis de Richelieu.

Catalogs

The Library has a catalogs computerized which includes/understands all the documents entered since 1975 and grows rich gradually by notes for the works former to this date. For the documents whose note is not computerized, it is necessary to resort to the catalogs on cards. The manuscripts were the subject of several phases of cataloguing, and this catalog should be put on line in the years to come. There exists also a catalog of the prints.

The library Victor-Cousin has his own catalogs.

Access

The access to the Library is reserved to the registered people. The lack of place resulted in restricting the access to the student S of the universities partners as from the third year of license and to the other students starting from the master. The library is also accessible to the enquiring teacher-researchers and French and, on accreditation, to their foreign colleagues. As in other libraries, a person not being included in the preceding categories but justifying of a research requiring the consultation of a specific document can profit one leave-to pass temporary.

The loan of the modern collections (after 1950) is open only to the French enquiring teacher-researchers and the students of the universities partners.

Work

Work of rehabilitation of the site of the Sorbonne is planned for 2008 and should last three years. They will be financed by the Mairie of Paris, owner of the buildings. During this time, it is expected that the collections of the Library will be consulted with the Bibliothèque Holy-Bores, whose opening is programmed for 2008.

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