Exposition « La fabrique des collections » : les dons à la bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève

Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève

Discover in the entrance hall of the bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève this new exhibition which reveals, through a hundred or so works and archives, the history of donations and the precious enrichment of its encyclopaedic collections by its readers and patrons. Heir to the collections of the abbaye of the same name, which bear the mark of great donations and were preserved for the benefit of the Nation by the Révolution française, the bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève saw its role strengthened by the attribution of the Dépôt légal imprimeur in 1828, then by its installation in 1851 in the setting built to measure by Henri Labrouste. The administrators and curators then asserted an ambitious and coherent policy of enriching the collections thus gathered. Alongside the current acquisitions and institutional entries such as subscriptions and other exchanges, donations occupy an essential place, substantial collections built up over the years by collectors, scholars or publishing professionals, but also a few books offered by modest readers wishing to give back to the library what it had given them: the widest possible access to an encyclopaedic and universal collection. It is this dynamic, still at work today, and these privileged relationships with a plural readership that the exhibition of a hundred or so works, objects and archival pieces invites you to discover. Free admission upon reservation during the opening hours of the bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève.

Source: Paris Open Data ↗