The National Library

The Bibliothèque Nationale de France is a bit like the Library of Congress, in principle: the BNF has a copy of every single book and periodical printed in France. They have special collections, musical scores, manuscripts and early printed books. I've never been to the Library of Congress, so I can't really compare, but it probably has its quirks and particular ways of going about things. But the BNF is crazy! Nuts! A completely other-worldly experience, in a way. From the dozen turnstiles you have to "badge" through with your (often fought-for) library card, to the seemingly miles of escalators that take you down, down, down, down into the bowels of the earth, to the heavy stainless steel double doors and stainless steel paneled hallways, every step of the experience reminds you that you're certainly not in Kansas anymore... And either not in France, or in some sort of hyper-France... it's a toss up!

 The BNF's current, main site was built in the 80s, under the presidency of the lone Socialist president of contemporary French history, François Mitterand. Beloved by some, and still blamed (posthumously) for the country's problems by others, Mitterand was at the head of many cultural projects including building the new, Bastille opera house, the pyramid at the Louvre, the arch in the business district of La Défense, the Insitut du Monde Arabe and the BNF.

The four towers are meant to resemble open books and they surround a "sunken" garden. It's done so that after having taken flight after flight of escalator down, down, down, you come out, seemingly on ground-level. The reading rooms are located around the garden, with some books on the shelves, but most are kept "away" in the magazine. To consult these works, you have to "order" the books to be sent to your desk (pre-reserved before you get to the library) through a formula online. Within half an hour, your books are ready to be picked up at the service counter closest to your reserved desk. It's quite the process, but easy enough to get the hang of...

When you're ready to leave again, you have to "badge" through all the turnstiles again before you can take the escalators up, up, up, back to the world of every-day people who don't handle rare and ancient books like it's no big deal.

I have to go back, but will need to work myself up to a second visit.