There is a wide variety of libraries (bibliothèques) available to you during your studies at the Paris School of Arts and Culture. Whether you are looking for a quiet space to study or searching for specific material for your research, you can find the best venue to suit your needs in this helpful guide.
PSAC Library Memberships
As a student of our Paris School you will become a member of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France (the National Library of France and France’s premier research library, it is equivalent to the British Library) and the American Library in Paris, where we have a dedicated collection of books which are included on your module reading lists. You will be inducted into these libraries within the first few weeks of your first term. Once you are a member, you can use these libraries as study space as well. In addition to these, Reid Hall has a lovely library, which has workstations and power outlets, which is a tranquil and beautiful place to study, write or read.
Kent’s Digital Library, home to an extensive collection of e-books, e-journals, newspapers, and more, is an extremely valuable resource during your studies. We recommend you attend our Digital Library presentation in order to make the most of these resources for your research.
Bibliothèque Publique d’Information, Centre Pompidou. Photo: Paris Info
Speciality Libraries in Paris
Paris has a number of excellent speciality libraries which you may like to visit depending on your programme. Here are the main ones you may want to use:
- Bibliothèque Pubique d’Information – Centre Pompidou: The large library of France’s national modern art museum has extensive collections of books, films and music. You do not need a membership to use this library, however, we advise you to visit in the morning, as it can get very crowded later in the day.
- Bibliothèque François Truffaut: This cinema library is located in the Forum des Halles shopping centre. In addition to its collections, it has study space available.
- Cinémathèque Française – Musée du Cinema: The French national film archive has a vast library and research centre. Its collection includes books, films, digitised posters, photos, press releases and more.
- Terra Foundation Library of American Art: This library specialises in American art from the 18th century to 1980. During the COVID pandemic, the library is open by appointment only. For more information and to schedule an appointment, please contact the library at: library@terraamericanart.eu. You can view the library’s online catalogue here.
Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève
- Create an account on the Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève website (see image above for the French-English translation).
- Bring ID and student card to the welcome desk within a month of online registration, photocopies are not accepted.
la Bibliothèque du cinéma François Truffaut. Photo: Ville de Paris
City of Paris Public Libraries
There are over 50 public libraries around Paris. They are all free to use and open to anyone. You can use their study spaces without becoming a member, however, to take out material from their collections you need to enrol. You can do this at any one library and your card is valid at all the libraries in the network. To enrol you will need to bring your ID and proof of your Paris residency. Further details in English here.
Top Photo: Salle de lecture Bibliotheque Sainte-Genevieve. Marie-Lan Nguyen / CC
