On the Equilibrium Between the Public and Collections: the New Central Library of Montpellier

In 1993, the town of Montpellier started an overall plan for the development of reading, of images and of sound which foresaw the construction of five district "mediatheques" and a new central library. On October 26th 1995, the municipal council decided to create a municipal library, dedicated to the region, of 15,000m2 for a target cost of 250 million francs, in partnership with the State, the region of Hérault and the district of Montpellier. Through the linkage of collections for adults and for children, and through the maintenance of a relative spatial specialization, the Montpellier project tries to reconcile a quality reception and mass loans with the specific needs of certain users (infants, researchers) and the important conservation functions of a regional library.
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