Public libraries in France

Abstract

Towards the end of the seventies and during the eighties of the last century, France created a new and successful model of library, the médiathèque. At the end of the nineties this much-appreciated and much-reproduced model of library faced a major crisis, mostly because of the advent of the Internet: the culture of dematerialization and disintermediation put to challenge the concept and legitimacy of libraries in France and all over the world.
As to the French situation, there are a few several critical points still to be solved. First of all, there isn't a national public library network for the more than 30.000 bibliothèques municipales. In the second place, several new issues aroused around the profession: career advancement today is much more difficult than before; professional training is up to too many different players; and there are too many different library associations. Finally, people generally don't understand “what librarians do”: in the digital age everyone can produce, spread and archive documents – and in the common belief everyone with administrative skills can manage a library. Eventually, since we put a major focus on inclusion, in the library cultural mediators are as important as librarians. Therefore, the French bibliothèques municipales are now looking for a new mission.
Foreign models are appealing, and the idea of library as a “third place” is well widespread. But what will be left of traditional library services (e.g. library collections) in a library whose “users are the most valuable collection”? Will its identity be lost among cool and comfortable sofas? Today's library professional debate in France is mostly about the role of library in the society, and we all hope that IFLA WLIC 2014 in Lyon will succeed in putting “libraries on the agenda!” of France too, according to Claudia Lux's incisive motto.