Bibliothèque Nationale de France

Bibliothèque Nationale de France

Most important library in France and one of the oldest in the world. The nation's first royal library, the Bibliothèque du Roi (“King's Library”), was established under Charles V (r. 1364–80) but later dispersed; another was established under Louis XI (r. 1461–83). From 1537 the library received a copy of every French publication. It was moved from Fontainebleau to Paris in the late 16th century and opened to the public in 1692. It acquired its current name in 1795, and its collection was expanded through Revolutionary appropriations and Napoleon's acquisitions. In 1995 it moved to a new facility with a controversial design; this facility now houses all its books (more than 12 million), periodicals, and magazines.