ABSTRACT
France, like many countries with a long history, has grown older without realizing it. The French National Library, located in a building primarily designed during the nineteenth century, had been the model of an open library, welcoming researchers among whom no distinctions were necessary. As the registration of copyright extended to all public and private publications, the library offered rich collections of manuscripts, engravings, and geographical maps that well complemented its collections of printed books and periodicals.
