National Shelfie Day is an annual celebration where people share photos of their bookshelves on social media. It promotes literacy, community, and the love of books. In 2014, the New York Public Library added this event to their calendar, gaining popularity through users posting pictures of their book collections online, and fostering discussions about favorite reads. Using hashtags like #LibraryShelfie and #LibraryShelfieDay, participants connect and create a virtual book club atmosphere, celebrating diverse literary tastes globally.
No matter how big our personal book collection may be, we will always be mesmerized by some libraries around the Francophone world. Today, I’ll share some of our favorite ones so you can add them to your itinerary next time you visit the city.
The Bibliothèque nationale de France, located in Paris, is one of the world's foremost libraries and a repository of France's cultural and intellectual heritage. Established in 1461, it has evolved into a modern institution with multiple sites, with the François Mitterrand Library being the main one.
The BnF holds a vast collection of books, manuscripts, prints, photographs, and multimedia documents, with a collection of over 42 million items, making it a comprehensive resource for researchers, scholars, and the public. The library is dedicated to preserving and providing access to a diverse range of materials, reflecting the richness of French literature, history, and culture.
With 50,000 visitors per week, La Grande Bibliothèque in Montréal hosts over 4 million items, including a vast collection of two million books and multimedia resources. It also offers a self-guided tour accessible via smartphone or tablet from the information desk, allowing visitors to explore the richness of its collections.
This place is as impressive on the inside as it is on the outside. The Universal Circulating Collection and the National Collection are showcased in unique "chambres de bois," featuring specially designed wooden slat walls made of Québec's official tree, the yellow birch.
The Bibliothèque Royale de Belgique is a distinguished institution located in Brussels. It’s also known as KBR, which is a contraction of two names in two different languages: Koninklijke Bibliotheek and Bibliothèque Royale. With over 4 million items, it hosts a depository for all books ever published in Belgium or abroad by Belgian authors.
Founded in 1837, it still is a center for Belgium cultural heritage and has a commitment to accessibility, providing reading rooms, exhibitions, and educational programs to all, fostering a vibrant cultural space for learning and exploration.
The UN Library & Archives Geneva was created for the League of Nations in 1919 and remained open even during World War II. With more than one million volumes, it serves as a vital intellectual hub within the international diplomatic community offering materials in specialized areas of international law, international relations, economic and social development, energy and environmental policy.
Located in the Palais des Nations, the library promotes guided tours of the Library, Archives and the Museum, which can be organized in several languages upon request, including for external visitors and groups.
If you can’t visit those libraries right now, you should certainly come and visit us. You probably know that we have the largest private collection of French books, periodicals, and DVDs available in the United States. On Fridays, we host our Pause Café, a free drop-in activity for you to practice your French skills, immerse yourself in stimulating conversations, and make new friends. You can always come in and browse our collection. For borrowing items, we invite you to become a member and join our sympathique community. See where OUI can take you!
No matter how big our personal book collection may be, we will always be mesmerized by some libraries around the Francophone world. Today, I’ll share some of our favorite ones so you can add them to your itinerary next time you visit the city.
Bibliothèque Nationale de France
The Bibliothèque nationale de France, located in Paris, is one of the world's foremost libraries and a repository of France's cultural and intellectual heritage. Established in 1461, it has evolved into a modern institution with multiple sites, with the François Mitterrand Library being the main one.
The BnF holds a vast collection of books, manuscripts, prints, photographs, and multimedia documents, with a collection of over 42 million items, making it a comprehensive resource for researchers, scholars, and the public. The library is dedicated to preserving and providing access to a diverse range of materials, reflecting the richness of French literature, history, and culture.
La Grande Bibliothèque – Bibliothèque et Archives Nationales du Québec
With 50,000 visitors per week, La Grande Bibliothèque in Montréal hosts over 4 million items, including a vast collection of two million books and multimedia resources. It also offers a self-guided tour accessible via smartphone or tablet from the information desk, allowing visitors to explore the richness of its collections.
This place is as impressive on the inside as it is on the outside. The Universal Circulating Collection and the National Collection are showcased in unique "chambres de bois," featuring specially designed wooden slat walls made of Québec's official tree, the yellow birch.
Bibliothèque Royale de Belgique
The Bibliothèque Royale de Belgique is a distinguished institution located in Brussels. It’s also known as KBR, which is a contraction of two names in two different languages: Koninklijke Bibliotheek and Bibliothèque Royale. With over 4 million items, it hosts a depository for all books ever published in Belgium or abroad by Belgian authors.
Founded in 1837, it still is a center for Belgium cultural heritage and has a commitment to accessibility, providing reading rooms, exhibitions, and educational programs to all, fostering a vibrant cultural space for learning and exploration.
UN Library & Archives Geneva
The UN Library & Archives Geneva was created for the League of Nations in 1919 and remained open even during World War II. With more than one million volumes, it serves as a vital intellectual hub within the international diplomatic community offering materials in specialized areas of international law, international relations, economic and social development, energy and environmental policy.
Located in the Palais des Nations, the library promotes guided tours of the Library, Archives and the Museum, which can be organized in several languages upon request, including for external visitors and groups.
If you can’t visit those libraries right now, you should certainly come and visit us. You probably know that we have the largest private collection of French books, periodicals, and DVDs available in the United States. On Fridays, we host our Pause Café, a free drop-in activity for you to practice your French skills, immerse yourself in stimulating conversations, and make new friends. You can always come in and browse our collection. For borrowing items, we invite you to become a member and join our sympathique community. See where OUI can take you!
Bruna Franco
Marketing & Membership Manager
Bruna first joined the Center as a member, looking for an opportunity to practice French and to be around French culture. She is now thrilled to be the Membership Manager and to provide members with the amazing experience she was previously able to enjoy herself. She is a native Portuguese speaker who, by the age of eight, knew she wanted to be multilingual someday. Working at the French Library now seems like a dream come true.
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