Reading in Montreuil-sous-Bois: in search of coherence

Montreuil has the advantage of an extensive supply of reading matter. Since the 1960s several libraries have been operating in the town, and the central library opened some new sites in 1974. The Salon du livre de jeunesse, established on the initiative of the bookshop Folies d'encre, experiences a growing enthusiasm. Montreuil, town of the book? If this is still the case in the minds of a number of its inhabitants, things have changed. Firstly, the manufacturing crisis of the 1980s, particularly marked in the town, has led to a drastic reduction in resources. Initiatives, if they are numerous, are also the most likely to be cut. The need for better coordination is obvious, so as to double the cultural contribution, with a greater emphasis on the needs of a varied population. The library must take on a new role as "linchpin" of the public service of reading, must promote tools for continuous learning, must give fresh impetus to partnerships with academic institutions, and must link up with independent initiatives. However, it should remain a public space, above all a place open to everyone.
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