Imagining a library today

On March 31, 2025, the Bibliothèque nationale de France celebrates the 30th anniversary of the inauguration of the François-Mitterrand site. This day of conference and exchanges will aim at showcasing how the modern building of the BnF inspired other architectural projects, and at discussing the key trends in terms of architecture, public and services in recent major libraries around the world.

Three decades later, this celebration is an opportunity to reflect on the relevance of this initial ambition, at a time when three major structural projects are renewing it in depth: the opening of the museum on the Richelieu site, the digital legal deposit and projects around artificial intelligence, and the construction of a new preservation and storage centre in Amiens.

Far from being isolated, these projects echo the questions shared by the world’s great libraries in terms of architecture, audiences and services. This study day will have an international focus and will bring together around ten establishments from four continents. It will mainly highlight projects led by other national libraries, whilst echoing BnF’s structural projects.

Through the prism of spatial planning, it intends to explore some of the challenges faced by academic and research libraries – and in particular by national libraries: strengthening their role in the transmission of knowledge and knowledge-based economy; bringing new audiences to the library – young people, pupils, neighbours, visitors, tourists, etc… ; complying with the sustainability requirement of architectural projects; integrating new technologies for a better use of collections.

This anniversary is therefore an opportunity to engage in a forward-looking dialogue between national libraries from around the world, in order to provide some answers to the question: what kind of library for tomorrow?

Program

Morning session

9.30 am: Opening of the day

By the President of the BnF

10 am-10.30 am: Introductory conference

By Dominique Perrault, architect who designed the BnF 

10.30 am-11 am: Testimonials on 30 years of the François-Mitterrand site 

11 am-11.45 am: Testimony of the National Library of the Kingdom of Morocco

Inaugurated some ten years after Dominique Perrault’s building, the National Library of the Kingdom of Morocco is one of the most striking recent achievements in the field of national libraries. Above all, the BnF’s François-Mitterrand site is considered a source of inspiration for the project’s two authors, architect Abdelouahed Mountassir and urban planner Rachid Al Andaloussi. While revisiting the codes of traditional Moroccan architecture, it stands out as a new milestone in Rabat’s urban landscape. We take a look back at this project of this library which signed an ambitious cooperation agreement with the BnF in spring 2024.

Discussion led by Philippe Trétiack, architect, writer and journalist.

Interview of the Samira El Malizi, director of the National Library of the Kingdom of Morocco, with the participation of the architect Abelouahed Mountassir and the urban planner Rachid Al Andaloussi.

12 pm-12.45 pm: Round table “Building responsibly, preserving sustainably”

Always in need of additional space, national libraries have to think about ways to build responsibly. How to be more sustainable in the definition of architectural projects and in the building works programme? At a time of many uncertainties, how to be flexible in the management of a new site, how to anticipate the continuous growth of collections and the very long-term safety of heritage collections?

Presentation-moderation: Sophie Bobet, Director of the James Baldwin médiathèque 

Speakers: Carlo Blum (Deputy Director of the National Library of Luxembourg), Leslie Weir (President of Library Archives Canada and IFLA), Rebecca Lawrence (Director of the British Library), Antoine Viger-Kohler and Pierre Alain Trévelo (Agence TVK).

Afternoon session

2.30 pm-3.30 pm: Round Table “The library, a knowledge forum”

The library is a key player to disseminate knowledge and culture, and ensure it is accessible to all (researchers, readers, visitors, passers-by, tourists…): what are the connections between areas dedicated to working or to visiting, between consultation and experimentation areas, research areas and places to stroll? Reflecting upon the conception of those spaces for different uses, how does a library intend to ensure its multiple and sometimes contradictory missions? Several projects, focusing on the cooperation between scientific and cultural stakeholders, can inspire us with solutions to deal with these many challenges. 

Presentation-moderation: Philippe Trétiack, architect, writer and journalist

Speakers: Chrysa E. Nikolaou (Director of the National Library of Greece), Ahmed A. Zayed (Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina), Franck Scholze (President of the German National Library and the CENL) and Gilles Pécout (President of the BnF).

Break

4 pm-5 pm: Round Table“Hybrid connected libraries: cutting-edge technologies at the service of collections”

Over the last 30 years, libraries have moved into new spaces and become hybrid, connected places. Digital tools and artificial intelligence technologies are constantly expanding their applications: collection management tools, solutions for discovering collections, heuristic techniques, mediation solutions, etc. What role should they play in the library and for what purposes? How can library spaces be rethought at a time of increasing dematerialisation?

Presentation-moderation: Emmanuelle Bermes, Professor at the École nationale des Chartes 

Speakers: Svein Arne Brygfjeld (Head of the National Library of Norway AI Lab and Secretary of the CENL « AI in libraries », Gene Tan (Chief Innovation Officer, Central Public Library de Singapour), Marie Grégoire (President-Director general of Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec), and Tiphaine Vacqué (Deputy Director of Networks and Services, BnF).

5.15 pm-6 pm: Closing session

By Alberto Manguel, writer and former Director of the National Library of Argentina

Language: French/ English with simultaneous interpretation 

Informations

Date and times

Monday 31 march 2025
9.30 am- 6 pm

Access

François-Mitterrand - Grand auditorium
Quai François-Mauriac – Paris 13^e
Entrée Est face à la rue Émile Durkheim

 

Map and transports