From Libraries & Culture to the Bibliotheque nationale

Abstract

In her work as the assistant editor of Libraries & Culture, the author has had the opportunity to learn about the value of library history as an area of scholarly research. This accumulated knowledge has contributed greatly to her continuing interest in and research on French cultural institutions during the revolutionary period, from 1789 to 1815, notably, the Bibliothèque nationale and the Louvre. In the process she has gained a deeper appreciation of the sometimes heroic efforts of French librarians and curators to preserve and enrich the collections that comprise their national heritage.