Grande Bibliothèque
Encyclopedia
The Grande Bibliothèque is a very large public library
in Downtown
Montreal
, Quebec
. Its collection is part of Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec
(BAnQ), Quebec's national library
.
Membership in the library is free to all residents of Quebec. With some 10,000 users per day and a record of 3,000,000 users in 2009—double the projected figure of 1.5 million—it has become the most popular library in the French-speaking world.
The Grande Bibliothèque's collection consists of some 4,000,000 works, including 1,140,000 books, 1,200,000 other documents, and 1,660,000 microfiches. The majority of the works are in French
; about 30% are in English, and a dozen other languages are also represented. The library has some 80 kilometres of shelf space.
These works are divided into two collections. The Collection nationale or Québec heritage collection, with about one million works, consists of copies of all works given to the BNQ for legal deposit since 1968. This is supplemented by the Saint-Sulpice collection of some 78,000 works, some dating back to the 1760s and including books from the personal libraries of such figures as Louis-Joseph Papineau
and Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine
. The Collection nationale is available for on-site reference.
The Collection universelle de prêt et de référence, a collection of about three million works on all subjects, includes the collection of the Bibliothèque centrale de Montréal, purchased from the City of Montreal for the project, as well as new acquisitions. Except for reference works, these works are available for loan. Written works are catalogued by the Dewey Decimal System.
Besides written works, there is also a large multimedia collection including 70,000 music CDs, 5,000 music scores, 16,000 films on VHS
or DVD
, and 500 software programs, available for loan. The library's adapted book service holds more than 50,000 documents for the visually impaired
, including Braille
and audio books.
The basement contains a children's library with special audio-visual equipment, the Espace jeunes.
Its extensive multimedia facilities include 44 audio stations and 50 video stations, as well as multimedia computer terminals and two music rooms with facilities for composing electronic music
.
Other specialized services include a job and career centre, a business connection centre, a special service centre for newcomers to Québec, and a language laboratory.
In addition to its collections, reading rooms, and audio-visual facilities, the Grande Bibliothèque also contains exhibition spaces, conference rooms, theatres, and auditoriums.
The Grande Bibliothèque, which had been a pet project of former Québec premier Lucien Bouchard
, was designed by Patkau Architects from Vancouver
and Croft-Pelletier/Gilles Guité from Quebec City
.
Construction on the new 33,000 m² library, a $
90.6 million project began in 2001 on the site of the former Palais du commerce. It was officially opened 23 April 2005 in time for the World Book and Copyright Day
, during a year in which Montréal held the honorary title of World Book Capital
given by UNESCO
. The library was opened to the general public the following Saturday, April 30, 2005, and loans began on May 3.
The contemporary
-styled five-storey building is clad with U-shaped plates of glass
of a type never used before in North America
, placed horizontally on the copper
uprights that run the whole height of the building.
In June 2005 three of these plates of glass shattered. In the first three weeks of July 2005, three more of these plates shattered, an average of one breakage per week. Metal barricades and canopies were used to secure the areas until the problem was corrected.
The national and universal collections are each housed in one of two chambres de bois ("wooden rooms"), a reference to Anne Hébert
's novel Les Chambres de bois. These multi-storey areas are demarcated by walls of wooden slats, either allowing indirect natural light or blocking it according to the conservation needs of the collection. The slats are made of Québec-grown yellow birch
, the official tree of Québec.
In accordance with the Québec government's policy on integrating art and architecture, the building contains several integrated works of art:
The Grande Bibliothèque is located at 475 Boulevard de Maisonneuve East (45°30′56.00"N 73°33′45.00"W) at the corner of Rue Berri, in the Quartier Latin
adjacent to the UQAM
campus, in the borough of Ville-Marie. It is connected directly by the underground city
to Berri-UQAM
metro station, a factor cited by the institution for its success.
Public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries...
in Downtown
Downtown Montreal
Downtown Montreal is the central business district of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is nearly enitirely located at the southern most slope of Mount Royal and is approximately bounded by Sherbrooke Street to the north, Papineau Avenue to the east, Guy Street or until Shaughnessy Village to the west,...
Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. Its collection is part of Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec
Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec
Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec is the Crown corporation acting as the provincial library and archives of Quebec...
(BAnQ), Quebec's national library
National library
A national library is a library specifically established by the government of a country to serve as the preeminent repository of information for that country. Unlike public libraries, these rarely allow citizens to borrow books...
.
Membership in the library is free to all residents of Quebec. With some 10,000 users per day and a record of 3,000,000 users in 2009—double the projected figure of 1.5 million—it has become the most popular library in the French-speaking world.
Collection
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
; about 30% are in English, and a dozen other languages are also represented. The library has some 80 kilometres of shelf space.
These works are divided into two collections. The Collection nationale or Québec heritage collection, with about one million works, consists of copies of all works given to the BNQ for legal deposit since 1968. This is supplemented by the Saint-Sulpice collection of some 78,000 works, some dating back to the 1760s and including books from the personal libraries of such figures as Louis-Joseph Papineau
Louis-Joseph Papineau
Louis-Joseph Papineau , born in Montreal, Quebec, was a politician, lawyer, and the landlord of the seigneurie de la Petite-Nation. He was the leader of the reformist Patriote movement before the Lower Canada Rebellion of 1837–1838. His father was Joseph Papineau, also a famous politician in Quebec...
and Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine
Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine
Sir Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine , 1st Baronet, KCMG was the first Canadian to become Prime Minister of the United Province of Canada and the first head of a responsible government in Canada. He was born in Boucherville, Lower Canada in 1807...
. The Collection nationale is available for on-site reference.
The Collection universelle de prêt et de référence, a collection of about three million works on all subjects, includes the collection of the Bibliothèque centrale de Montréal, purchased from the City of Montreal for the project, as well as new acquisitions. Except for reference works, these works are available for loan. Written works are catalogued by the Dewey Decimal System.
Besides written works, there is also a large multimedia collection including 70,000 music CDs, 5,000 music scores, 16,000 films on VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
or DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
, and 500 software programs, available for loan. The library's adapted book service holds more than 50,000 documents for the visually impaired
Visual impairment
Visual impairment is vision loss to such a degree as to qualify as an additional support need through a significant limitation of visual capability resulting from either disease, trauma, or congenital or degenerative conditions that cannot be corrected by conventional means, such as refractive...
, including Braille
Braille
The Braille system is a method that is widely used by blind people to read and write, and was the first digital form of writing.Braille was devised in 1825 by Louis Braille, a blind Frenchman. Each Braille character, or cell, is made up of six dot positions, arranged in a rectangle containing two...
and audio books.
Services
The library has 1300 reading armchairs, 850 study seats and carrels, and 350 computer stations.The basement contains a children's library with special audio-visual equipment, the Espace jeunes.
Its extensive multimedia facilities include 44 audio stations and 50 video stations, as well as multimedia computer terminals and two music rooms with facilities for composing electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
.
Other specialized services include a job and career centre, a business connection centre, a special service centre for newcomers to Québec, and a language laboratory.
In addition to its collections, reading rooms, and audio-visual facilities, the Grande Bibliothèque also contains exhibition spaces, conference rooms, theatres, and auditoriums.
Building
Lucien Bouchard
Lucien Bouchard, is a Canadian lawyer, diplomat, politician and former Minister of the Environment of the Canadian Federal Government. He was the Leader of Opposition in the Canadian House of Commons from 1993 to 1996, and the 27th Premier of Quebec from January 29, 1996 to March 8, 2001...
, was designed by Patkau Architects from Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
and Croft-Pelletier/Gilles Guité from Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
.
Construction on the new 33,000 m² library, a $
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
90.6 million project began in 2001 on the site of the former Palais du commerce. It was officially opened 23 April 2005 in time for the World Book and Copyright Day
World Book and Copyright Day
World Book and Copyright Day is a yearly event on 23 April, organized by UNESCO to promote reading, publishing and copyright...
, during a year in which Montréal held the honorary title of World Book Capital
World Book Capital
World Book Capital is a title bestowed by UNESCO to a city in recognition of the quality of its programs to promote books and reading and the dedication of all players in the book industry....
given by UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
. The library was opened to the general public the following Saturday, April 30, 2005, and loans began on May 3.
The contemporary
Contemporary architecture
Contemporary architecture is generally speaking the architecture of the present time.The term contemporary architecture is also applied to a range of styles of recently built structures and space which are optimized for current use....
-styled five-storey building is clad with U-shaped plates of glass
Glass
Glass is an amorphous solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent.The most familiar type of glass, used for centuries in windows and drinking vessels, is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica plus Na2O, CaO, and several minor additives...
of a type never used before in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, placed horizontally on the copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
uprights that run the whole height of the building.
In June 2005 three of these plates of glass shattered. In the first three weeks of July 2005, three more of these plates shattered, an average of one breakage per week. Metal barricades and canopies were used to secure the areas until the problem was corrected.
The national and universal collections are each housed in one of two chambres de bois ("wooden rooms"), a reference to Anne Hébert
Anne Hébert
Anne Hébert, CC, OQ , was a Canadian author and poet. She is a descendant of famed French-Canadian historian Francois-Xavier Garneau, "and has carried on the family literary tradition spectacularly."...
's novel Les Chambres de bois. These multi-storey areas are demarcated by walls of wooden slats, either allowing indirect natural light or blocking it according to the conservation needs of the collection. The slats are made of Québec-grown yellow birch
Yellow Birch
Betula alleghaniensis , is a species of birch native to eastern North America, from Newfoundland to Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, southern Quebec and Ontario, and the southeast corner of Manitoba in Canada, west to Minnesota, and south in the Appalachian Mountains to northern Georgia.It is a...
, the official tree of Québec.
In accordance with the Québec government's policy on integrating art and architecture, the building contains several integrated works of art:
- an exterior sculpture, Espace fractal, by Jean-Pierre Morin;
- a glass mural on the Rue Savoie façade, Vous êtes ici, by Dominique Blain;
- a kinetic luminous mural at métroMontreal MetroThe Montreal Metro is a rubber-tired metro system, and the main form of public transportation underground in the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada....
level, Voix sans bruit, by Louise Viger; - a sculpture gardenSculpture gardenA sculpture garden is an outdoor garden dedicated to the presentation of sculpture, usually several permanently sited works in durable materials in landscaped surroundings....
to the north of the building, divided into plots of which one will be developed with sculpture and landscape artLandscape artLandscape art is a term that covers the depiction of natural scenery such as mountains, valleys, trees, rivers, and forests, and especially art where the main subject is a wide view, with its elements arranged into a coherent composition. In other works landscape backgrounds for figures can still...
each year; currently containing Jardin punk and Jardin de la forêt urbaine by Roger Gaudreau.
The Grande Bibliothèque is located at 475 Boulevard de Maisonneuve East (45°30′56.00"N 73°33′45.00"W) at the corner of Rue Berri, in the Quartier Latin
Quartier Latin (Montreal)
The Quartier Latin is an area in the Ville-Marie borough of Montreal, surrounding UQAM and lower Saint-Denis Street, between downtown and the Gay Village...
adjacent to the UQAM
Université du Québec à Montréal
The Université du Québec à Montréal is one of four universities in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Basic facts:The UQAM is the largest constituent element of the Université du Québec , a public university system with other branches in Gatineau , Rimouski, Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec City, Chicoutimi, and...
campus, in the borough of Ville-Marie. It is connected directly by the underground city
Underground City, Montreal
Montreal's Underground City is the set of interconnected complexes in and around Downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada...
to Berri-UQAM
Berri-UQAM (Montreal Metro)
Berri-UQAM is the central station of the Montreal Metro rapid transit system operated by the Société de transport de Montréal . It is located in the Quartier Latin, in the borough of Ville-Marie, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The station opened on October 14, 1966, as part of the original network...
metro station, a factor cited by the institution for its success.
See also
- Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du QuébecBibliothèque et Archives nationales du QuébecBibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec is the Crown corporation acting as the provincial library and archives of Quebec...
- Bibliothèque de MontréalBibliothèque de MontréalThe Montreal Public Libraries Network is the public library system on the Island of Montreal in Quebec, Canada. It is the largest French language public library system in North America. It also has items in English and other languages...
- List of national libraries
- Literature of Quebec
External links
- Official Website (in French, with English summary)
- Grande Bibliothèque du Québec on Images Montréal Website