Jardin des Plantes Libraries

Open all year round

Students, researchers, enthusiasts or the simply curious, you will be right to push open the doors of the Museum's libraries to discover the diversity of our collections and the incredible wealth of our documentary network.

Around the central library, in the heart of the Jardin des plantes, twelve specialised libraries are located in the different departments.

This network illustrates the unique character of the Museum, which is a centre of scientific excellence, a place for raising awareness and popularising knowledge, and a heritage conservatory.

Cabinet de curiosité de Joseph Bonnier de la Mosson

© MNHN - J.-C. Domenech

On the ground floor

The Multimedia Library offers free access to works on botany, zoology, ecology, prehistory, the history of science, gardening and landscape art. Reference works are available alongside guidebooks, exhibition catalogues and comic books. The youngest visitors can enjoy a very playful and colourful area. Marvel at Joseph Bonnier de la Mosson's extraordinary cabinet of curiosities, a listed historic monument. You can borrow up to ten books for free for three weeks with a reader's card. 

Bibliothèque centrale du Jardin des Plantes

© MNHN - J.-C. Domenech

Bibliothèque centrale du Jardin des Plantes

© MNHN - J.-C. Domenech

Bibliothèque centrale du Jardin des Plantes

© MNHN - J.-C. Domenech
Bibliothèque centrale du Jardin des Plantes

Bibliothèque centrale du Jardin des Plantes

© MNHN - J.-C. Domenech

On the second floor

Make way for the specialised collections for which the Museum is renowned! Some 2 million documents of all kinds await researchers and students, as well as every natural science enthusiast: printed or electronic books and journals, geographical maps, manuscripts, scientific and institutional archives, drawings, photographs, works of art and artefacts. The most fragile documents, such as the 7,000 watercolours in the prestigious Vellum Collection, can be viewed via the digital library. All you have to do is register for free to access this unique collection. Enjoy your reading!

Access the library's document portal

Salle de lecture - Bibliothèque centrale du Muséum, Jardin des Plantes

© MNHN - J.-C. Domenech

Consultation de livres anciens à la Bibliothèque centrale du Muséum

© MNHN - J.-C. Domenech
Consultation des archives et des manuscrits à la Bibliothèque centrale du Muséum

Consultation des archives et des manuscrits à la Bibliothèque centrale du Muséum - Collections des archives et manuscrits

© MNHN - J.-C. Domenech

Bibliothèque centrale du Jardin des Plantes

© MNHN - J.-C. Domenech

Globes de Coronelli à la Bibliothèque centrale du Muséum

© MNHN - A. Iatzoura
How to find us

38 rue Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire

75005 Paris

 

bibliotheques@mnhn.fr
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