Libraries and Archives

The Collège de France maintains a rich collection of resources comprising an archives department, twelve specialized libraries, and cross-functional units (interlibrary loan, bibliometrics, and online resources, etc.). It also houses a collection of objects consisting of scientific instruments and works of art. The Department of Libraries, Archives, and Collections (DBAC) coordinates these resources and supports or leads projects related to digitization, exhibitions, the modernization of research tools, open science, and partnerships with other institutions  the National Archives, the National Library of France, the National Library of Taiwan, the Louvre Museum, the City of Montgeron, and others.

It maintains a research blog titled to showcase the collections and encourage research on the holdings. It serves as the point of contact for national and international bodies regarding documentation and archives (ministries and supervisory agencies, the Higher Education Bibliographic Agency for the Sudoc and Calames networks, the National Archives for the FranceArchives portal, etc.). It reviews matters related to library science, archival science, and museology, and puts its expertise at the service of the institution.

The libraries and departments are located at two sites  11, place Marcelin-Berthelot, for the heritage library, the museum collection, the Department of Research Services and Online Resources, and the Archives Department  52, rue du Cardinal-Lemoine, for the libraries specializing in the humanities and social sciences, grouped into four clusters with the chairs and research teams within the Institute of Civilizations.