Room I – National Centre for Youth Literature

In Room I, the  National Centre for Youth Literature offers a reference collection on youth literature, tales, graphic novels, periodicals and youth magazines, as well as a children’s book selection from the classics to the latest publications, films, video games and more. 
 

Room I – National center for youth literature © Béatrice Lucchese / BnF

Collections 

  • Latest news in publishing: new releases (albums, graphic novels, tales, documentaries, poetries, novels, theatre etc.) presented in the  Revue des livres pour enfants and Takam Tikou (published by the CNLJ), a showcase of editorial news for French and international young readers. 
  • The Ideal Library: a selection of the best children’s books available in France selected by the guide Escales en littérature de jeunesse (published by the “Cercle de la Librairie”) and the yearly selections of the Revue des livres pour enfants. The Ideal Library presents a mix of young readers’ classics and of the best of contemporary creation. 
  • A selection of tactile books in braille alphabet adapted for kids with visual impairments. 
  • Flash : Our 100 favorite children’s books of the year! This selection is based on a supplement to the annual selection of the Revue des livres pour enfants distributed everywhere in France. 
  • The Classics: a selection of the classics of world youth literature from the origins to the ’80s. This collection presents works published for kids and teenagers with a significant impact, whether aesthetic, historical, sociological, educational and in terms of creation, reception or distribution. 
  • Reference books on youth literature, graphic novels and reading for children: historical panoramas, thematic studies, monographs on authors and illustrators etc.
  • Storytelling: an unparalleled specialized collection in France on storytelling and oral literature. It offers founding texts and literary works from all over the world, folktales of all French regions and of the world, reference books on storytelling and on the art of storytellers You have also acccess to catalogs and national and international tales repertoires, specialized periodicals, and an online access to Bibliorécit, the database on oral literature. 
  • Periodicals: 60 professional  French and foreign periodicals and more than 70 youth magazines. 
  • A selection of films, documentaries, and video games coming mostly from the annual selection of the Revue des livres pour enfants.

Services offered

  • The Room I is accessible to families all year long, from Tuesday to Sunday. Access is free for children under 14 accompanied by an adult carrying an access pass. They can enjoy a space dedicated to the best of recent publishings, and books in 15 foreign languages. 
  • Internet access and to the databases available at the BnF
  • 2 audiovisual stations and 2 video game consoles
  • Reproduction (1 scanner)
  • One video-enlarger 
  • Group visits  by appointment: cnlj.contact[at]bnf.fr
  • Access to the Sound, Video, Multimedia portal

Noteworthy Collections

Holders of a pass ‘lecture/culture’ of or of a research pass can consult numerous collections available only from storage in Room I, including: 
  • The historical collection ‘La Joie par les livres’ created in 1965: more than 200,000 books and periodicals representative of the francophone youth production, as well as a 10,000 volume foreign language collection and a 7,000 volume collection of ancient, rare or precious children’s books from the 17th century to today. 
  • The totality of legally deposited youth publishing production in France (books and periodicals) since 1995. 

 

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