Public Information Library - Centre Pompidou
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Discover the Bpi
History of the Bpi
A State institution established by decree in 1976, the Bpi was initiated by Julien Cain, who was Director of Libraries and Reading Resources in France from 1946 to 1964, and during the same period Administrator of the National Library. Very quickly he entrusted the management of the project to Jean-Pierre Seguin, who at that time was the person responsible for the National Library's repositories.
During the 1960s, the idea of a friendly place open to everyone emerged, with open access to books and materials in all formats. When it opened, the Library at once found favour with the public: occasional visitors and regular users thronged into the rooms to consult the encyclopaedic collections and materials dealing with current affairs. This popularity would be a constant feature of the Bpi's history.
- The story of the Library is presented here in four main periods: you can use the navigation menu on the left to go back in time...
News
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France Culture reports on the Bpi at 30
Consult the report made by France Culture on the occasion of the Bpi's 30th Anniversary. It includes information about the creation of the Library, the sociology of its public and the users of today, together with numerous comments in sound.