National library of France - SpeedyLook encyclopedia

The National library of France ( BnF ) is most important Bibliothèque of France. It has the statute of public corporation. Its activities are distributed on various sites, whose main thing is the library of the site François-Mitterrand , located in the 13 {{E}} district, on the Left bank of Paris.

It preserves in its buildings of the collections estimated at 13 million books and of printed but it is also increasingly known for its numeric libraries, initially Gallica, and from now on Europeana. The documents put on line are for the majority in image mode, but the text mode is more present, in particular on Europeana. It is one of the most important libraries in the world.

History

See also: History of the National library of France, List of the leaders of the National library of France

The National library of France (BnF) car its origin of the Library of the king, made up with the Louvre by Charles V at the 14th century. The first bookseller of the king was called Gilles Mallet. However, it is only starting from Charles VIII (fine of the 15th century) that the library of the king knows a certain continuity, without dispersion of the collections. The library, a time transferred to Blois and Fontainebleau, is again installed in Paris in 1568. She experiences an important development under Louis XIV and is opened to the public in 1692. After several removals, it settles in 1720 Rue Richelieu (what corresponds to the “current Richelieu site”). Become imperial National library then with the wire of the regime changes which the France starting from knows 1789, it moves into the buildings built by Henri Labrouste in 1868, before the last removal to join the site of Tolbiac.

The evolution of the establishment is marked by several removals of collections, whose last one most important, was accompanied by an extension by surfaces used, with new constructions, annexations of preexistent buildings, and in addition in-depth storages (Richelieu site) or in height (Tolbiac site). In several centuries, the library met several technical evolutions, of which it held account, sometimes with delay. These evolutions involved the entry of more varied documents. Various techniques were also implemented in the constitution of increasingly complex catalogs (catalogs manuscripts and printed, files and, since 1987, catalogs computerized). The statute of the library also evolved/moved much, of the library of the sovereign to a service of the State until a autonomous public corporation. The Library also diversified its activity, in particular by the organization of exposures then other cultural events such as conferences. It also developed cooperation actions with other libraries, initially within the framework of a French network, then with the foreigner.

Especially, the history of the library is that of successive increases in collections. The Registration of copyright, wide successively with various types of documents, is the most important source of increase. BnF also profited many gift S, sometimes of specific gifts, but also rather often of collections made up. The exchanges of publications are another source of increase, in particular of foreign publications. Purchases are added to it (new works, but also sometimes auction of rare documents). These increases by purchase were more or less important according to the times, according to the appropriations granted to the Library.

BnF occasionally profited from confiscations. It is especially during the French revolution that the collections grew rich by this manner. The library thus received whole funds, in source especially of Abbaye S, colleges and of removed Université S, in particular Parisian. It also received documents coming adjoining countries.

Starting from 1988, the national library enters a phase of important changes. The July 14th, François Mitterrand, advised in particular by Jacques Attali, announces “the construction and the installation of one or largest and the most modern library of the world… (which) will have to cover all the fields of the Connaissance, to be at the disposal of all, to use the most modern technologies of data transmission, to be able to be consulted remotely and to enter in relation to other European libraries”. The selected site is in the new district of Tolbiac (XIII {{E}} district of Paris), in the middle of the ZAC Bank-Left, then the principal sector of urban renewal of the city. The architectural project of Dominique Perrault is adopted. The new National library of France opens with the public the December 20th 1996 and, after the removal of the major part of the collections of the street Richelieu, accommodates the researchers in October 1998.

Statute and missions

The National library of France is a public corporation related to administration under supervision of the ministry in charge of the culture. As a National library, it has the role of constituting collections, in particular within the framework of the Registration of copyright, of taking care of their conservation and of communicating them to the public. It produces a catalogs reference, cooperates with other establishments at the national and international level and takes part in research programs. It also organizes temporary exhibitions, as well in the fields of the literature as of the history or art (prints, engravings, photographs…), often associated with meetings and conferences.

The High-of-garden of the site of Tolbiac is accessible to any elderly sixteen year old or more, subject discharging an import duty, either for a specific access, or in the form of yearly subscription. The Ground floor as well as the rooms of reading of the other sites is usable only after accreditation on justification of research, and realizing payment (fifteen day old chart or annual chart). Certain people can however be exonerated or pay a cheap rate, in particular the students.

Since November 2005, the National library of France ensures a Service of virtual reference called Sindbad.

The registration of copyright

BnF ensures the collection and the conservation of the registration of copyright (instituted under at the 16th century), helped by the National institute of audio-visual the, the National center of cinematography and the regional poles of the registration of copyright. It is it which for this reason collects the most documents and the majority of the entries comes from the registration of copyright. But if BnF is agent of the printed books and others, the registration of copyright of the cartoons is made with the National center of the cartoon and the image (CNBDI) to Angouleme.

Cultural activities

BnF has a long tradition of exposures centered on its collections, but often supplemented external contributions. Since the constitution of the new public corporation, it reinforced its activity of reception of scientific demonstrations, such as conferences, conferences, or more rarely projections and concerts.

BnF is also a editor. It publishes mainly catalogs of its collections, catalogs of exposures and documents new. Some of its productions appear in co-edition with private editors.

BnF ensures the publication of two periodic. Chroniques of the National library of France (available also on line) informs its readers of the life of the establishment. The Revue National library of France , which succeeded the Revue National library , includes/understands articles on the history of the library and its collections, like with the history of the media and the libraries in general.

Co-operation with the other French libraries

BnF also has in its missions the co-operation with the other French libraries. It thus tied privileged relations with other libraries called “poles associated” with BnF. These associated poles are of two kinds:

the regional poles of the registration of copyright printer, in each area of province and overseas and in the communities of overseas, receive the books deposited by the printers (see the article Registration of copyright in France for more details) .
the poles of documentary division, 47 (25 in Ile-de-France, 22 in province), passed convention with BnF. They engage, with the assistance of this one, to acquire and preserve collections complementary to those of BnF, in a given field. Often, several libraries of the same city form a documentary pole of division together. Thus, with Brest, the Public library, SCD of the University of Western Brittany and the information center of IFREMER form the associated pole for oceanography. Located at Béziers, the interregional Center of development of the occitan (CIRDOC) division with BnF the management of the funds related on the language and the culture occitanes.

Beyond this network, BnF ensures the supply of bibliographic records various libraries. In return, BnF manages the collective catalog of France (CCFr), which gathers BN-Opal More (see below) , SUDOC (catalogs collective French college libraries) and certain old or particular funds of public libraries.

She plays also a part of professional training, which results in the reception of trainees, the organization of professional days and the diffusion of bibliographical standards.

International cooperation

BnF also maintains the relations with other libraries and institutions abroad. Most known is the participation in the “European Bibliothèque”, virtual library jointly organized by several European libraries, primarily of other national libraries. This library is located in the royal Bibliothèque of the Netherlands at $the Hague.

This regrouping gave birth on the initiative for a “European Numeric library” (BNE), project which associates the majority of the national libraries of the continent. The the United Kingdom however was disunited some. Within this framework, BnF developed since the summer a 2006 model of the baptized BNE Europeana, which was opened with the public in March 2007.

BnF brings also its support to libraries of other countries, in particular of the French-speaking Africa and of South America. It takes part finally in IFLA. Within this federation, BnF takes part in the work groups on the standards of cataloguing and is more especially charged to coordinate the program CAP (Safeguarding and conservation) , devoted to the conservation and the safeguard of the old or fragile documents.

Internal organization

The National library of France is managed by a Board of directors including/understanding different representatives ministries: culture with the title of the supervision, but also the Communication, Higher education, Research, the Budget and Foreign affairs (because of its international activity). Also sit of the members representing the world of the research, the elected representatives of the personnel and two representatives of the users elected by the latter, for the High-of-garden and for the libraries of research.

The board of directors is assisted of a scientific advice having an advisory role. Moreover, BnF lays out of a equal technical Comité and of a Comité of hygiene and safety.

The president of BnF, named by decree for three years, renewable mandate once, directs the establishment, assisted of a managing director and two executive vice presidents. Since April 2nd, 2007, Bruno Racine, named the previous on March 28th in the Council of Ministers, is president of BnF.

The services of BnF are divided into three directions and four delegations.

the direction of the collections (DCO) treats the collections and ensures the services the public. It is divided into documentary departments whose list is given further, site by site.
the direction of the services and networks (DSR) is in charge of transverse functions interesting all the documentary departments and other actions engaging all the library. It includes/understands various departments:

the national bibliographical Agency draws up the French national bibliography, enriches the catalog and maintains the Vocabulaire controlled BRANCH;
the department of the numeric library constitutes a Numeric library starting from the collections of BnF and institutions partners, and works at the European Numeric library like with the Archivage of the Web;
the department of the conservation ensures the conservation and the restoration of the documents; it is this department which manages the engineering services of Bussy-Saint-Georges and Sablé-sur-Sarthe;
the department of the co-operation is in charge of the relations with the other French libraries, manages the collective Catalog of France and Gallica;
the department of the registration of copyright receives the printed papers form coming from the editors and printers, the particular supports being received and being treated directly by the specialized departments (thus the department of the music receives the registration of copyright of the partitions, etc);
the department of the reproduction is charged to reproduce the documents of the library, either to transfer the contents on a less fragile support, a microform or more and more often a numerical support, or to satisfy the request of a reader or a customer of outside (these services are paying);
the department of the information systems deals with the technical side of the catalogs, of the Intranet of BnF, the public stations and the remote services.

the direction of the administration and personnel (DAP) gathers services essential to the daily operation of the whole of the establishment (human resources, material finances, means).

The delegations are attached directly to the managing director:

delegation with the strategy;
delegation with the international relations;
delegation with the cultural diffusion, which is occupied inter alia all cultural events (exposures, conferences, readings…) ;
delegation with the communication.

Sites and departments

Site Richelieu/Louvois

Structure and buildings

The historic site of BnF (formerly called National library before the construction and the transfer of the collections of Printed on the Tolbiac site) occupies the whole of the quadrilateral Richelieu , delimited by the streets of the Small-Fields (in the south), Vivienne (in the east), Louvois (in north) and Richelieu (in the west). The oldest elements of this unit were high for Mazarin by the architects Pierre the Dumb man and François Mansart, with which one owes the two galleries, currently used as galleries of exposure. The buildings underwent new installations as from the years 1720 pennies the direction of Robert de Cotte and the abbot Bignon. The modifications were very few second half of the 18th century in the middle of the 19th century. Another phase of great work takes again with Henri Labrouste starting from 1854: its principal achievements are the current frontage of the main courtyard and especially the vast Labrouste room. Labrouste Jean-Louis Pascal succeeds, who continues work of the main courtyard and designs in 1916 the Ovale room, which however will be inaugurated only in 1936. For lack of place, the National library had to extend out of the Richelieu quadrilateral. It thus occupied part of the Galerie Vivienne to install the services of the registration of copyright, but these buildings were abandoned with the opening of the site F. Mitterrand. However, BnF still uses a building with 61, rue de Richelieu, with purely administrative vocation, as well as a building street Louvois, built in 1964 by André Chatelin for the department of the Music. The unit Richelieu/Louvois includes/understands especially rooms of reading, stores and offices. It is there also three spaces of exposure: the Mazarine gallery, for the exposures sets of themes, the gallery of photography (known also like Mansart gallery) and the crypt, for small exposures.

Departments and collections

(*) The Jean-Vilar House, in Avignon, is attached to the department of the Performing arts, but its collections are counted separately.
(**) Two divisions constitute only one department, but it appeared useful to present them separately.
(***) The library-museum of the Opera is attached to the department of the Music, but its collections are counted separately.
(****) the department of the Library search is common to the sites Richelieu and Tolbiac.

In addition to the collections indicated in the table, the departments of Richelieu count 2 700 000 volumes of printed (Books, periodicals and collections), of which 12 000 Incunable S.

The “Richelieu project”

Since the removal of printed towards Tolbiac, BnF engaged in a project of modernization of the Richelieu site, which comprises several dimensions:

better description of the documents of the specialized sites, with in particular the computerization of the files of the departments of Richelieu, the transfer of notes of BN-Opaline towards BN-Opal More, the use of new standards for the electronic description of the manuscripts;
immense operation of restoration and refitting of the various rooms;
redeployment of spaces and the collections.

In the long term, it is expected that the department of the Performing arts settles in the current museum of the department of the Currencies, medals and antiques, which will be reorganized. The Labrouste room renovated will become the room of reading of INHA. As for the Oval room, it will be a space of consultation being used as introduction to the various specialized departments, and which will be largely accessible, like the high-of-garden.

Site François-Mitterrand (Tolbiac)

Structure and buildings

Plans and sights satellite:

In Tolbiac, the library François-Mitterrand, also called Very large library, occupies a site of 7,5 hectares for an esplanade of: 60000 m ². The work of Dominique Perrault is in particular characterized by four large angular towers of 79 m each one which correspond symbolically to four open books. Each turn bears a name:

Turn of times
Turn of the laws
Turn of the numbers
Turn of the letters

The center of the building is occupied by a garden of: 12000 m ² closed with the public, but which contributes, located at the height of the déambulatoire of the ground floor, to give an indication of calm in the middle of the noisy environment of the city. The trees which compose this garden are pines of the forest of Edge recovered adult where a career was to make them disappear, and transported in heavy load. As of their transplantation they were stayed because réenracinement is delicate with adult subjects. It is not a question of in no case of imported trees from abroad, and even less sequoias, as some which ignore the trees still believe it. Under this level are still two levels used, of which low is occupied by an interior street intended for the traffic (in particular internal vehicles in BnF and those coming to deliver the registration of copyright). The whole of the area of construction out-work represents: 290000 m ² of floors.

With the installation with Tolbiac, the researchers have places of broader readings and a recent and rather functional furniture. The average time of communication seldom exceeds from now on 30 minutes.

The site of Tolbiac comprises two spaces of exposure, a “big room” and a “small room”. Moreover, a permanent exposure in the hall east proposes a general presentation of the establishment. Large and a small auditorium make it possible to organize professional meetings, conferences, conferences, readings or concerts.

Since 2006, the two spheres of Coronelli are exposed in the western hall.

Collections

The collections of Tolbiac include/understand funds of free access and patrimonial collections, and occupy in all 385 linear km of shelves. The funds of free access, present at the same time in High-of-Garden (library of study) and in ground floor (library of research), contains approximately: 575000 volumes (: 700000 in the long term). The patrimonial collections are in the various departments present at Tolbiac, except for the department of the Library search (DRB). The four departments resulting from the department of printed books and the department of the Periodicals preserve the patrimonial funds made up of printed. They represent approximately: 10000000 of books and: 350000 titles of periodicals, of which: 32000 French and foreign alive titles. To printed an important bottom of microforms is added, with: 76000 Microfilm S (newspapers, books of large size) and: 950000 Microfiche S (works, theses).

The department of Audio-visual, heir to the national Record library, has to him also patrimonial funds, but only of the particular supports, corresponding approximately to: 900000 sound documents: 90000 videograms: 250000 digitized still images and: 50000 documents multi-media.

The most prestigious department is the reserve of the rare books, which includes/understands: 200000 volumes approximately. The reserve includes/understands the Incunable S, of the remarkable works by their format (particularly small or large), of the documents showing the technical evolutions, the documents with weak pulling, the books having belonged to famous people, and finally the “Hell” of the library, including/understanding works considered to be “licencieux”.

In addition approximately: 100000 digitized texts can be consulted. A part only figure also on Gallica or Europeana, since there is no more right problem of .

Departments and rooms of readings

(*) The DRB is common to the sites Richelieu and Tolbiac.

Site of the Arsenal

Library-museum of the Opera

NonParisian sites

The house Jean Vilar in Avignon

With Avignon, BnF is owner of the house Jean Vilar, attached to the department of the performing arts. This library shelters the personal records of the director and those of the Festival of Avignon.

The technical center of Bussy-Saint-Georges

BnF is established with Bussy-Saint-Georges, in a building which it divides with the Technical center of the book of higher education. The site of Bussy is useful at the same time:

for the restorations requiring more specific place or materials;
of research center for the conservation of the documents;

The building was built in 2005 per Dominique Perrault. From 1996 to 2006, the additional specimens of the registration of copyright were sent to the technical center of Bussy; one of them was preserved to constitute a collection of help, not having in theory to be useful, the others were employed with the exchanges international or given to other French libraries according to the kind of the document. Since the reform of the registration of copyright, which saw a reduction in the number of specimens required of the editors, this activity ceased.

The technical center of Sablé-sur-Sarthe

BnF is installed with Sablé-sur-Sarthe, with the center Joel Theule, devoted to the restoration of fragile documents. (See Sand-on-Sarthe#Château Sanded: technical center of BnF)

Abandoned sites

The appendix of Versailles

The National library made build with Versailles a first building (1932 - 1934), then a second (1954), in particular to preserve periodicals and collections in double. At the beginning, they were only places of conservation, but a room of reading is thereafter open there. These buildings are not used any more since 1998.

The old technical center of Layered branches

A center of restoration had been created with Provins for the restoration and the transfer of newspapers on microfilms. The site of Layered branches was closed in 2002.

Catalogs

The National library of France worked out and successively enriched or simultaneously several types of catalogs. Principal the catalogs placed at the disposal of the public will be presented here.

BN-opal More

Plus BN-opal is the principal computerized catalog. Plus BN-opal was called in the beginning BN-Opal and counted in theory all the patrimonial collections. It was made up for the books resulting from the registration of copyright and acquisitions since 1987, to which were added the notes rétroconverties of the general Catalog of printed the and its supplements. Thereafter, it took the name of BN-Opal Plus when other data were added there: initially notes of the documents in free access of the site of Tolbiac, then notes of the department of Audio-visual (including the Multi-media ), finally (work currently in hand), printed papers form of the specialized departments of the other sites.

Always perhaps not having been held with the rigor necessary, there is only relatively reliable and remains subject to deposit in any case. He undoubtedly suffers also from a real weakness in human and/or material means and nature nonconstraining from the French regulation (in practice and in the absence of any device of serious sanction, the registration of copyright is related to goodwill editors or producers). Certain researchers for a long time gave up it, with the profit in particular of the catalogs of American universities (which seem to lay out, they, of suitable means).

BN-opaline

BN-opaline, other catalogs computerized, conceived to announce the specialized collections of the other sites, in particular Richelieu, but also of the documents not belonging to BnF, in particular of the musical funds and the literary manuscripts, since May 2007 is closed.

It was initially diffused not interfaces of it Web but under telnet, before passing then in Web interface. BN-opaline consisted of several bases, each one having its clean fields, which represented an advantage to treat unusual collections (manuscripts, partitions, films, etc).

The elements formerly included in BN-Opaline for the majority were integrated in BN-Opal More or CCFr; the others will give place to specific databases.

Catalogs more traditional

The existence of these two catalogs computerized does not remove any interest with the other types of catalogs, printed or on cards, present at BnF, even if these types of catalogs are likely to disappear later on. Catalogs printed remain of use in various specialized departments, in particular that of the Manuscripts, that of the Prints or that of the Currencies and medals; it publishes even the new ones. However, data processing is also used in this field, since old catalogs, digitized, are put on line on Internet. There exist also catalogs on cards, with the Arsenal, the Opera and Richelieu. These cards should be rétroconverties to appear in the long term in BN-Opal More. In Tolbiac, the catalogs on cards are very few. They remain of use in room Y for the Reserve of the rare books (files of usual, files by editors or source), in room W for the documents in characters not-Latin (some of these files are also digitized on Internet), finally in room X for the files by subjects until in 1980.

Personnel and public

Personnel of BnF

The establishment employs, all confused sites, close to: 2700 people, but that represents less: 2500 equivalent full-time (ETP). Two thirds of the personnel are civils servant, whose majority (about half of the permanent personnel) raise of the “die library” of the Ministère of Higher education and Research. The not-civils servant are about also distributed (of number) between contractual and Vacataire S (paid per hour). The latter, of the students for the majority, often cumulate a share lower than the one full-time half. It is the leading cause of the great disparity between manpower and the total in ETP. However, BnF endeavors to reduce the weight of the not-civils servant in its manpower.

These data do not include/understand nor the people who work for the account of private companies under the terms of a concession or of a delegation (personal of safety, personnel of the cafeteria…) nor the detachment of the Brigade of firemen of Paris (BSPP) affected permanently in BnF.

Public

In 2005, the establishment established or renewed close to 40 000 annual charts for the high-of-garden and more 18 000 for research. The public of BnF mainly consists of student S: among the readers accredited for spaces of research, nearly 60% states to come “for study”, while their proportion is estimated at 84% in High-of-garden according to the last enquêtesLe High-of-Garden is thus especially used by students of level license while the Doctorant S meet more in the rooms of research, the students of master being distributed between the various levels. The teachers and researchers represent the category most present after the students. A little more than 30% the readers accredited for research state to come “for professional reasons”, a good number being undoubtedly teacher-researchers. Beside these two categories, BnF pains to attract the cultivated general public (hardly 10% of the public of spaces of research come “to personal capacity”), which was however one of its objectives. In High-of-garden, the proportion is undoubtedly close, since for the 84% of students, it is advisable to add 6% of high-school pupils.

Within the public accredited for research, more than 80% of the public is of French nationality, the foreigners most represented coming from the United States and Italy.

The men and the women are distributed about with equality within the public, as well that of spaces of research as that of the High-of-Garden.

The seasonal variations of activity of BnF are explained largely by the composition of the public, with substantial differences between High-of-garden and spaces of research. The High-of-garden knows a calendar close to that of a College library: important occupation during the academic year, frequentation increased with the approach of the examinations, attractivity very weak in July and August. The frequentation very weak in August led the authorities of BnF besides to found an exemption from payment of the specific entries on an experimental basis. Conversely, the Ground floor is a more important success in summer, only period when certain researchers, living the province or the foreigner, can come to Paris: it is not rare to see the ground floor saturated at these times with the year. Apart from this peak, the frequentation of spaces of research is more regular.

The High-of-garden knows also a variation of the frequentation during the week, the periods charged being the Week-end, as well as Tuesday, day of closing of the Bpi.

Budget

Since January 1st, 2007, the National library of France remunerates its personnel directly. The budget of BnF rose before to 155 million Euro S (M€). The essence of its resources (116 M€) comes from Subvention S from the State, allotted primarily by the ministry for the culture. The other resources are comparatively weak, the import duties not paying more than 2 M€ per annum. In the expenditure, the budget of Fonctionnement accounted for 105 M€ against 50 M€ for the Investissement. In the 105 M€ of operation, 41 M€ corresponded to the personnel expenditure, knowing there that BnF paid only the “contractual ones on appropriations”, the other employees being paid directly by the State, which is not any more the case since the beginning of 2007. In the capital expenditures, 17 M€ are devoted to the technical buildings and installations and about as much to the enrichment of the collections. BnF counts the purchases of documents in the section of investment, when other libraries deduct them in section of operation, which does not facilitate the comparisons.

Criticisms addressed to the Library

The National library of France often causes criticisms. Those, coming from varied horizons, were largely relayed by the media at the beginning. The media force fell down a little, but some of these criticisms remain. They can be gathered in three main categories.

Criticisms of trade-union origin

The establishment is thus blamed by the trade unions. The Library knew besides several social conflicts, of which one, shortly after the first opening days of the ground floor, resulted in long a Grève remained in the spirits. The principal objection relates to the Work conditions: the personnel of storing in particular complains about the noise, but also about the obligation to often work with the artificial light. Moreover, particularly at the beginning of the operation of the ground floor, the personnel is in the obligation to assume, with respect to the users, the dysfunctions of which they do not feel always responsible. The National library of France is also criticized for its recourse, considered as excessive, with employment known as precarious, frees-lance in particular (see higher) .

Critics emanating of the readers

Readers also formulate a certain number of objections towards BnF, especially for the François-Mitterrand site. The access to this site is difficult, the more so as the esplanade and the descents are slipping in wet weather and that this situation only is partially solved by the non-skid ways and the renunciation of the travelators for the descent. The readers also complain about the “work conditions” in this library: excessive noise in the rooms of reading, sometimes excessive time of communication (of the efforts were made however), unavailability of certain documents, freshness difficult to support in the rooms of reading, even in summer, bad orientation of the data-processing stations whose screens are almost illegible by large sun. The representatives of the readers also plead for an extension of the schedules of opening, asserting an opening of the ground floor as of Monday morning and the introduction of “night” at least once per week (currently the rooms of reading close with 20 H). In a more anecdotic way, tariffs of spaces of restoration (cafeteria…) are also blamed. The representatives of the readers tend to think that the library would make some too much for the numeric libraries (Gallica and Europeana) or exposures to the detriment of the readers consulting the documents on the spot.

Criticisms of the media and the public opinion

BnF also made speak about it negatively beyond those which work there or use it. Some of these criticisms are political, insofar as they do not aim only BnF, but the policy of Grands work of F. Mitterrand as a whole. The fact that the choice of the project was the political decision of only one man, regulated in a fast way without consideration of the practical aspects, is also criticized. The architectural party of Dominique Perrault has also his detractors, in particular for his decision to store the documents in the turns.

In addition to the initial costs of the investment - close to the double of the cost of the realization of the Opéra Bastille -, the annual expenses of operation generated by the Bnf news also were the subject of critical sharp. They indeed represent for the budget of the State an amount seven times higher than than cost the BN, that is to say the three-fifths of the sum allocated each year with the whole of the college libraries on the French territory. With very heavy consequences, as well for the taxpayers as for the college libraries, placed in financial impossibility to suitably enrich their catalogs since about fifteen years, and the new generations of students and researchers (who are often expatriates).

The press was also made the echo of a certain number of other facts, of which some were exaggerated, but which are likely to cause the mockery and indignation. Among most outstanding, dysfunctions of the warning system involved the flood of certain sectors of the stores in 1997. more recently, the presence of Amiante was raised in the collections (2005).

The media then spoke about flights and disappearances in BnF. A conservative, Michel Garel, were blamed in 2004 and condemn, on March 10th, 2006, at two one-year suspended sentences and prohibition to exert any public service mission during five years, like with 400 000 € of damages. This judgment was worsened by the Court of Appeal of Paris, which pronounced in its connection, on January 26th, 2007, a 15 month sorrow of imprisonment and 75 000 € of fine. The interested party provided himself in cassation.

If the “Large library” makes the object of criticism many, which touches especially the François-Mitterrand site, the establishment and its supervision agreed of important in particular financial efforts. That results in particular in a strong enrichment of the catalogs and a good visibility of the establishment, in particular by the frequentation of Gallica.

Appearances in the fiction

The François-Mitterrand site appears lengthily in the film Pars quickly and return late, and in a more furtive way in All the girls are insane or the human question .

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