Researching in academic archives in Paris is an exercise in geography at times. And patience and ritual. This week, as I returned to Tolbiac for the first time in a couple of years, I found myself swept up in this ritual and decided to share the daily experience of this place. First of all, the Bibliothèque nationale de France is composed of multiple sites; this is the Site François-Mitterand/Tolbiac. The research area has only been open since 1998, but now it is the major research center of this library organization. It is located in the southwest of the city, in the 13th arrondissement.
To get to Tolbiac, the good news is that I can take a bus more or less door-to-door--this is excellent, in terms of a commute. Once I renew my annual card (more about that later), I can enter the research area of Tolbiac, which is where I decided to start this week. Pretty simple, because I am working on expanding a conference paper into an article and need access to three plays produced in Paris from 1853 to 1866: they're pop culture plays, not great literature, so I knew I could find them here and get a seat (always important in August!).
Here is my journey from ground level to the doors of the library.
These trees are planted inside the open rectangle of the building.
Once inside, I have a bag check, then go directly to the vestaire or cloakroom, where I have to exchange my backpack for a plastic briefcase. Here's my briefcase from yesterday, jammed with my stuff.
I then swipe my card at a turnstile and, if accepted, go through. I pass through two sets of massive steel doors and an airlock space, and then I take two escalators down the depth of three regular stories, through a massive open space.
At the bottom, I go through another turnstile. This is the lobby into the research area, and the final checkpoint for those planning to work inside. There is a desk where I can ask for a seat inside the research area or if I've already reserved a place online (as I did yesterday) I swipe my card through a third turnstile and, if accepted, enter another double set of steel doors into the research area proper. Whew!
By the way, all bathrooms are outside the research area, so in order to use them, one has to swipe out and in again.
Once inside, I have to find the room and then the seat I have been given. All seats are assigned, usually by your topic, but sometimes on a crowded day just an empty place. I am working in literature, so I got a seat at W25 yesterday. I walk down the first hall to my left, then turn right and walk down the second hall to W (see the tiny white W hanging all the way down? That's where I am going.
In W I find #25 and check to see if the green light at my seat is flashing. It is, so I return to the librarian's desk to hand over my card. He clicks my card, goes into the back, and returns with the books I reserved (again on line) and checks them out to me--for the afternoon. I return to my seat and set to work.
I can't eat or drink at this seat (obviously!) and so I have to go to one of the loges to do that. There are four loges, but not all are open all the time. In them, one can make cell calls, hit the machines for water, soda, or coffee, or simply sit and relax, chat with friends, etc.
These trees are the same ones I photographed from the top.
This was a pretty easy day because I could reserve a seat and my books online. Lucky me!
More about Tolbiac later, but if you want to know more about the site, its architecture, and its collections, go to www.bnf.fr/PAGES/zNavigat/frame/connaitr.htm. Under "Les sites," click on Site François-Mitterand. The Rez-de-jardin is the level on which I work.
Au revoir for now,
Pearl
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