The world of books and libraries

• From publishing to the bookstore
• Illuminated and painted manuscripts
• Rare books
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• Publications about BnF
• Bibliographic research tools
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Publications about BnF and its collections

Various documentary resources are available to readers needing information on specific Library collections or interested in the Library’s history. These resources are split between the various collections departments in accordance with the subject and media of the materials they describe. However, the full range of publications by and about the Library are grouped together at the François Mitterrand Library (Site François-Mitterrand), in either the Bibliographic Research Department or the Art and Literature Department.

From the Catalogue des livres imprimés de la Bibliothèque du roi, published in the 18th century, to inventories of specific collections by language or former owner, not forgetting source guides in the various fields, the Library has always sought to describe its collections and provide its readers with scientific tools to help them with their research. By virtue of their classification systems or indexes, these tools provide alternative ways to access documents than those offered in the online catalogs. They may be consulted in the Research library, in the Bibliographic Research Department.

Catalogs of exhibitions organized by the Library constitute illustrated summaries of a topic or collection, and usually provide the call numbers of all materials exhibited. The Research library holds as complete a collection of these catalogs as possible, categorized chronologically from 1878 to the present day. The Reference library also offers a broad choice of these catalogs in both departments. 

The Revue de la Bibliothèque nationale de France, published under a variety of titles since 1976, may be consulted at any of the Library’s sites. It provides information on new heritage collections acquired by the Library and publishes previously unpublished material from collections, as well as studies on the Library’s documents, collections, and institutional history. 

The majority of existing material on the history of the Library is available on an open access basis in the Research library; a selection is available for consultation in the Reference library. 

Files consisting of brochures, leaflets, and other short-lived documents published by the Library for the information of its readers since the early 20th century are available for consultation on request in room T of the Research library.