Founded in Paris in 1929 by the American scholar Thomas Whittemore and the Byzantine Institute of Boston (Massachusetts), the Byzantine Library holds a collection of nearly 50,000 volumes on Byzantine civilization, with a particular focus on early Christian and Byzantine archaeology and art, Byzantine history and literature, the history of the Orthodox Church, liturgy, and the art and history of the regions influenced by Byzantine civilization (Slavic countries, Georgia, Armenia, the Near East...), as well as Coptic art and literature.
In collaboration with its research teams , it is developing specialized collections focused on Byzantine epigraphy, numismatics, diplomatics, and sigillography, as well as on Mount Athos as part of the publication of the Athos monastery archives, a project that one of the teams has been conducting for many years.
A copy of the microfilms from the Arabic, Greek, and Eastern Christian sections of the Institute for Research and History of Texts (IRHT, CNRS UPR 841), comprising nearly 3,500 Arabic microfilms, 9,000 microfilms of Greek manuscripts, and 3,500 microfilms of Eastern Christian manuscripts (Coptic, Syriac, Armenian, Christian Arabic, Ethiopian, Georgian, Slavic), is housed at the Institute of Civilizations and available for consultation at the Byzantine Library. Consult the Arca database to find out which reproductions are available (check the language and classification of the reproduction: MF (IRHT)). These documents can be consulted in a study booth equipped with a microfilm reader by providing the box number listed in the database.
It offers 58 seating spaces equipped with Wi-Fi, including 2 study cubicles and a group study room available by prior reservation.
The library also houses part of Thomas Whittemore’s archives (correspondence, miscellaneous files, photographs), as well as several works of art (Coptic textiles, icons, crosses) acquired by him.
In May 2021, the library received the “CollEx—Collections of Excellence” designation, awarded by the Collex-Persée scientific interest group. This designation recognizes research-level collections that are remarkable for their scope and originality, and allows the designated library to participate in national projects involving collection mapping, digitization, or calls for proposals involving researchers.
