Reader registration for the Research Library

The Reader’s card is issued by the Readers’ guidance service at the François Mitterrand or the Richelieu Libraries after an individual interview with a librarian.

Cards cannot be provided by mail.

However, to prepare for the admission interview, you can fill in a pre-admission form in order to describe your search (academic, professionnal or personal search).

The file will be examined within 10 days.

If BnF responds positively, the requester is invited to come to the Readers’ Guidance Service for an interview. A proof of identity and the required documents will be requested for the issue of the card.

Accreditation to the research library is opened without any further restriction the categories listed below. Each country has its own national academic system. The following list refers to english-speaking countries :

• Senior academics: university professor, assistant professor, associate professor, full professor, distinguished teaching/research professor, professor emeritus, visiting professor, adjunct professor, professor by courtesy, honorary professor, gypsy scholar, sessional instructor, senior lecturers and lecturers,
• Researchers (research associates and directors from prominent public and private research organizations),
• Uppergraduates of librarian, information and archival science institutes and universities, high level students preparing to be curators of cultural heritage,
• Members of Institutes of higher education such as College de France, National academy members (National Academies of science, Institutes of medicine, National Academies of art…),
• Senior and principal librarians, curators of cultural heritage.

In order to accelerate the registration to the Research library, these persons are asked to use the pre-admission request form.