University libraries: practices and services change

As the French ministry of higher education explains, university libraries offer access to about 51 million printed documents, and to heritage documents and electronic resources, readable onsite and remotely. But, says the ministry, “attendance and uses of libraries experiment long-lasting change and are marked by changes of students’ practices and sociability”. In 2022, university libraries registered 56 million entries.

University libraries undergo modernisation changes

France registers more than 550 university libraries. In addition to this increased implementation, university libraries “significantly modernised their reception conditions and diversified the range of services for their public”, notes the ministry before adding that university libraries underwent specific revamp in several aspects. 

First, an extension of opening times: 94 open more than 65 hours per week, and 122 from 50 to 65 hours per week. University libraries also increased the number of seated places. In addition, construction and real estate renovations now include “a vision oriented towards the user to design modular locations adapted to new uses: changing atmospheres, group study rooms, catalogue enriched with hybrid and innovative training, services to research, participation to campus everyday life, and more.”

A new use of university libraries

The website étudiant.gouv provides a guide on the new practices and uses in university libraries. In the open list of “what you can do in university libraries” the students’ website lists new experiences detailed in nine points:

• dedicated workspaces: many libraries offer “separated workspaces” adapting to the needs of students. The website explains that “there are seats in group work rooms, individual cubicles, sometimes even decks outsides and rooms for videoconferencing”;
• everyday life services: such as connected lockers “to securely leave your stuff and charge your equipment, or charging stations for smartphones, blankets or fans for your comfort”;
• attendance forecasting: with the Affluences app, students may find out how many seats are available in a specific library, and book a seat;
• extended hours: “since work spaces are the first service in a university library”, extended hours allow access until 10 pm, and even Sundays for a few libraries;
• catering rooms: university libraries often have snack machines, and sometimes cafeterias from the Crous or other independent companies;
• leisure spaces: in specific university libraries, new informal spaces are dedicated to leisure, cooking or even naps!
• equipment borrowing: in addition to their first objective, some libraries offer a computer borrowing service. In others, it’s also possible to borrow photo or movie cameras, editing tables, virtual-reality goggles. And in order to “adapt to the lifestyle of students”, some university libraries offer “new services such as lending cooking tools, DIY tools, sport equipment, and more”;
• contact with student associations: university libraries may welcome student associations actions in their premises, and “it’s an opportunity to discover, discuss and even join” the associations;
• scientific and cultural schedules: university libraries give access rich cultural offers and yearly events about festivals and exhibitions.

Biblis en folie event on university campus

With 15,500 facilities spread across the country, libraries, media libraries and other reading locations form the densest cultural network in France. This is why the first Biblis en folie operation has been launched, the first national days dedicated to libraries and media libraries, taking place on 28 and 29 September throughout mainland France and the French overseas territories. According to the French Ministry of Culture, which is the main organiser of the event, the public are “invited to (re)discover their local library and take part in the many free festive events on offer”, including readings, exhibitions, film clubs, concerts, meetings and debates, workshops, etc.

University libraries are also taking part in this event. These include Sorbonne University - Paris Nord, Grenoble Faculty of Law and Literature, Rouen Medicine university, Saint-Etienne University, etc.

To discover the programme, check out the interactive map.