Bibliotheque National de France - Mitterand

The towers of the Bibliotheque Nationale de France are named -  they are the towers of Laws, of Letters, of Numbers and of Time.

My first attempt to enter this library was when it was closed for holidays. I tried to make sense of the vastness of it. All those empty buildings and concrete made it a spooky place to hang out when there was no one there.

The library lies in not the most inspiring area of Paris – lots of construction and modern buildings that wont last more than 100 years going on, but I was glad it was finally open and was able to get free wifi in the pub nearby.

The specific libraries A-J surround a large courtyard containing a native European forest.  You need tickets to enter each specialist library as you go through a turnstile to enter the library of Sciences, or Arts, Law, Literature, History, Languages or Humanities.

About half the libraries collection is off limits to most users – one needs to be studying postgrad research to enter through the gates that look like the International departures gate at the airport.

I was given tickets to the A- J libraries  I couldn’t get clearance to the K-Y rooms- it looked very serious with big metal doors and security pass gates. It looked quite security ridden - people had their laptops/books in clear plastic satchels provided by the library and had to check in other items.

Globes of Louis XIV

The biggest touristy reason to visit the BnF Mitterand (in ones own opinion)- is the Hall of Globes – a permanent exhibition in the West Hall. The 2 world globes were created in 1683 for the Sun King. Both exquisitely painted in Baroque style, one is a geographical depiction of the world as perceived from that time, with strange lands, sea explorations and creatures of the deep. The other is a celestial globe, featuring zodiac constellations shown as realistic figures, comets known at the time, and a moveable sun structure able to travel around the outside of the globe.

Sound merely lovely? Each globe is bigger that your lounge room – well, 4 metres in diameter, anyway. No photographs are allowed sadly – and the globes are so vast they wont fit in the frame either. A must see for their awesomeness - and its free!
 Catch a small glimpse at: http://expositions.bnf.fr/globes/expo_us/02.htm

LABO

The Tech Laboratory presents new technologies for reading, writing and dissemination of knowledge to visitors, where they can explore the library catalogue on new devices. The question they ask is – what events are born when the new technology encounters the collection? The Lab page on the BnF website also contains miles of video resources to view on this subject – great for professional development!

http://labo.bnf.fr/html/ressources.htm

The BnF Website - www.bnf.fr

An essential digital reference point for librarians, geeks and introverts alike, the BnF website outlines how they deal with information management issues in their organisation, such as electronic document management policies, management plans for functional classification and proposals for records management.

Policies for BnF research programmes are explained in useable detail. Their mission is to create active research mostly within their collections, as part of the Library's national, European and international influence.

The BnF website is also a treasure trove of video clips for professional development for librarians, where you can update your skills, and provide online exhibitions their treasures to browse.

Gallica, the BnF's online digital library resource allows worldwide users to research books, manuscripts, maps, images, periodicals, sound recordings and scores. Users can explore collected RSS feeds, collection features and Gallica apps for iPad for hours of fascination...

The British Library

Gaining access to the Reading Rooms of the British Library takes some doing - such as having a passport, legitimate research purposes and purchasing a pass.  For the unsuspecting tourist who just pops in for the day, a little preparation is needed prior to the visit.

 Unfortunately, that wasn't what I did - one just wandered in, but the library was still ready with plenty of treasures waiting and was a great place to spend a day away from Londons crowds.

In the centre of the building, the Kings Library features in a custom made glass tower 6 storys high.  The collection dates from the 1700's and books are retrieved for use in the rare books and music reading rooms.  

 The Kings Library in its glass tower:

Library tourists can also view the 'Treasures of the Library' collection in the Sir John Ritblat Gallery, which features the Magna Carte, Leonardo Da Vinci's notebook, original music score of Handel's 'Messiah', Charles Dickens notebooks,.......

A temporary exhibition called ‘Writing Britain’ was on display at the time – celebrating over 1000 years of English literature.   An Aladdin’s cave of manuscripts, belongings and drawings had been assembled from authors including Tolkien, Lennon, Blake, Dickens, Shakespeare, Rowling, Chaucer, Bronte, AA Milne, Stevenson, Zadie Smith, Orwell, Bram Stoker, Yeats, Pinter – and the list goes on and on….. One felt encouraged that some authors journals looked no different to ones own.  Others, however, looked like magical codexes of spells to fire the inspiration.  

www.bl.uk/writing britain

The newsletter of Friends of the British Library had an interesting article outlining the time of Dame Lynne Brindley’s time as chief executive of the Library as it comes to an end.  The purpose of the British Library had changed over the past decade – from being a mere large repository to having to make its own income, make the libraries resources as digital as possible, and adapt strategic marketing to capture wider audiences.       

www.bl.uk/friends

The British Library website is well worth checking on a regular basis for keeping up to date with library practices, technologies and what is happening at the forefront of the library world - and to keep finding amazing things.  The Library has reached out to us from London – and we can visit anytime from any country and keep informed. 

www.bl.uk

Palais du Louvre - Bibliotheque et Phototheque

The Louvre has a library, of course - but its off limits to all us hoards of tourists.  I didn’t find it until my last day visiting the Louvre.  And I couldn’t go in there.  But maybe you could plan your break-in!  
(a big mission for my next trip there …or  get research approval for your PhD in Fine Arts…)

The collection at the Ecole du Louvre is one of the largest Art History and Archeology collections in the world.  It also publishes academic research, books and manuals on a regular basis.

The library contains support materials for all subjects covered at the Ecole du Louvre, including approximately 56,000 volumes, 320 periodicals and 5000 living memories.  The Phototheque contains over 200 000 catalogued images, 400 000 slides and 50 000 plates.  Its digital collection is available on premises.

The second best knowledge access in the Louvre for non-academics is by purchasing the ‘Carte Louvre Professionels’ - a pass which gives access to resources for education, journalism, arts and tourism.

For those of us who just like art but know just a little, the Louvre website is a rich resource to investigate - whether to plan your next visit or just enjoy the abundance of art it contains.

http://www.ecoledulouvre.fr/

http://www.louvre.fr/en

La Cinematheque Francais

La Cinematheque at Bercy in Paris 12 contains a shockingly gorgeous collection of early film making equipment - the collection contains donations from Charlie Chaplin and Alfred Hitchcock, among others, so it obviously means a lot to people in the film industry.  Old polished wooden cameras & early optical instruments, costumes and short films from silent black and white to present day adorn the exhibition space.  This is the reportedly the largest film archive in the world and to add to the divine experience, its building is a Frank Gehry creation.

I was unable to gain clearance to the library as it was closed on the day I visited (great planning ahead on my part there) - if I wanted to visit this library I needed to make an appointment with them for a guided tour, and I have the impression they'd prefer in a group.  I had been searching around Paris for a film library, however, didn't find this one until after I arrived, so an in-depth library visit is definately on my cards for the next trip.

If the exhibition is anything to go by, who knows what treasures lurk at the top of the security pass elevator  among the 22,500 books, 21,000 posters, 12,000 drawings digitized models of sets or costumes, 40,000 digitized photographs, 20,700 digitized journals,  8500 movies - 20's or Nouvelle Vague anyone?





If youre not a French reader, put their address into Google Translator - its a digital treasure trove! :
http://www.cinematheque.fr/

Royal College of Music Library - London, UK.

The RCM Library is open to the public for reference purposes - though takes a little more doing than just visiting your local regular public library.

Making your way through security and navigating  through the corridors of practice rooms that shower you with the sounds of trumpets, cellos and opera singers practicing.. and being one of the most definitive music libraries in the world - its an essential journey for a music librarian.

The collection contains 500 000 items spanning across the past 400 years or more, including standard texts for instruments, historical works such as 16th century manuscripts of early music, ensemble and orchestral scores and parts, original manuscripts, choral and vocal works contemporary works, recordings and audio visual materials in various formats.

Their facilities include an Audiovisual listening area and the majestic Donaldson reading room, which contains reference books, collected editions and journals.  There is also an instrument museum containing over 1000 items and the College's archives are managed by the Library.

Their catalogs use indexes, card systems and online and subscribe to online databases for recordings, and electronic reference sources  (e-resources), which can be accessed via their website below.

And they were having a sale!!  One was greeted at the door with a trolley full of scores and CDs to rat through - what joy!.

Peruse their catalogues and see pictures of their facilities at their website:

http://www.rcm.ac.uk/library/

Bibliotheque Opera Garnier, Paris

 Thanks to the lovely librarians at Bibliotheque National de France - Richelu, I was given a day pass to the Music library and the Opera Library in Opera Garnier.  C'est privilege!



The Opera Garnier Library houses information collections of its operas and ballets performed over the past 300 years, history of dance and music, and history of the opera house itself.  Information in the form of documents, paintings, photographs, drawings, programs, and of course, scores and parts to operas can be found, particular to each production held at Garnier.  Set design plans and mock ups, costume sketches, original scores, directors notes of any given production at Garnier are amongst the holdings in the collection.

There are pictures and information of various dance genres, and photographs of the Opera area from the building's construction and standing through major historical events (such as world wars) to the present day.

Periodicals and encyclopedias contained in this library specialize in opera and dance.

Card catalogues are in use and some digital catalogue access via Bibliotheque National de France Online.  Access to this library is gained by paying a membership fee.

A very special place to do research amongst the gold chandeliers and wreaths of green palm leaves decorating the walls and ceiling.  The photographs below are of the areas for tourist access, where photography is permitted - sadly I can't share the tranquility of this gorgeous venue with photos of inside the actual library.

Tourist access:

   

.. and thats as good as it gets until you go there with your pass!

See the official description at the BF website below:
http://www.bnf.fr/en/collections_and_services/dpts_eng/s.opera_library.html?first_Art=non

Castle Saint Vincennes

The most convenient real castle Ive found within Paris (you can get there on the Metro) - has a library - however, Ive concluded that it may be just for display purposes - a fake!  but its lead to discovering another library...

Vincennes castle dates back to 12th century when it was built as a hunters lodging amongst woodland for French royalty.

The stone room of the 'library' is small, on the ground floor and is next door to the prison. It contains a model of the shelves and types of huge manuscripts that may have been stored there. (Can anyone confirm if the kind of documents in these pictures are likely for a 12th century castle?  The whole thing - including the giant volumes are all carved from wood)  

On the second floor above, Charles V (1364 -1380) had his study chambers, where he kept his gold, received visitors and worked with the assistance of two secretaries in the turrets, so there was very likely some serious mediaeval archival record keeping going on close by.

The French writer and philosopher Denis Diderot (1713 - 1784) was imprisoned in the donjon of Vincennes in 1749 and wrote the following essays whilst imprisoned there:

'Lettre sur les aveugles a l'usage de ceux qui voyent'  (Essay on Blindness)

'Lettre sur les sourds et muets, a l'usage de ceux qui entendent et qui parlent'  (Letter on thé deaf and dumb, for those who hear and speak)

'Des Lettres de cachet et es prisons d'Etat'   (Detention without trial and State prisons)

'Theorie de l'impot' (Theory of Taxation).

BUT!!!
The weaponry pavilion behind the castle, however, is now a library of the Ministy of Defence's Historical Service archives - and this is where the fun begins - but they explain it so much better than I do - please visit their great site and have a read:

http://www.servicehistorique.sga.defense.gouv.fr/Records-held-by-the-SHD.html

   

Weapons pavilion housing the Ministry of Defence archives - the castle is in the background ...

Visit the website for the Castle Vincennes:
http://en.chateau-vincennes.fr/