The BnF has implemented a security plan across its 7 sites to protect its 35 million documents, including 15 million printed works and 20 million special documents. The plan focuses on (1) access controls and security in storage areas, (2) preserving and tracking collections, (3) security training for staff and regulations for readers, and (4) national and international cooperation. Key elements include access control systems, video surveillance, stamping collections, electronic tracking of document movement, stocktaking, screening of staff and readers, and cooperation with police. The security of the national patrimony is a major responsibility given past thefts of documents.

1. The safety of patrimonial
collections at the BnF
Gaziantep, Turkey, 19th november 2012
Anne Pasquignon, deputy director of collections division,
Bibliothèque nationale de France

2. The Bnf : Some points of reference
» 7 sites
» Creation XVth century
» 14 departments of collections on 5 sites
» 35 millions of documents
» 15 millions printed documents
» 20 millions of specific documents
 François-Mitterrand Library
 Open stacks Reference library (600 000 documents)
 Research Library : 13 millions documents (monographs, periodicals, 1 200 000
audiovisual documents ) delivered from closed stacks : 1.1 millions documents a year
 Other sites : Richelieu, Arsenal, Opéra, Avignon
 250 000 manuscripts, 800 000 maps, 2 millions music scores, 12 millions prints and
photographs, more than 600 000 coins, medals, and objects
 290 000 consulted documents a year

5. Awareness of the security issue
• Preservation and security of the national
patrimony : a major responsability
• Several cases of known thefts
• Recent patrimonial documents : audiovisual
materials
• Rare and precious documents
- C. Ptolemy, Cosmographia,
- The Hebraic manuscript 52

6. The security plan for collections
June 2003 : Launching , under the
leadership of an internal steering committee
4 action fields
•Spaces and access controls fitting-out
•Preservation and control of collections
•Measures applied to the library staff and readers
•National and international cooperation
September 2004 : First evaluation report
adressed to Minister of Culture

7. Spaces and access controls
• Implementation of a general access control
device at the BnF F. Mitterrand (access profiles)
• Videosurveillance system
• Security devices in storage areas
• Organization chart for keys(vigikeys)
• Security measures for the transfer of collections
between all the BnF’s sites and outside
• Staff recruitement /transfer :new adminitrative
procedure

12. Preservation and control of the
collections
• Stamping and systematic marking (current flow and
retrospective collections)
• Expansion of the electronic tracking of the documents
flow (legal deposit accession)
• Intensification of the substitution activities : priority to
precious resources
• Reflection on the increase and preservation of rare and
precious collections
• Stocktaking : charter, achievement of a three-year plan
(2003-2005), 2007-2009 + plan in progress
• Regulation and control of the deposits outside BnF :
creation of a special committee (oct 2006)

14. Measures applied to staff and
readers
• Library staff and service providers in
contact with collections
– Updating of library rules
– Stacks and workshops regulations
(accreditations)
– Security training for newcomers
– Staff lending : regulations and centralised
database ( july 2006)
– Police record certificate required in case of
new responsability on patrimonial collections

18. Measures applied to the library
staff and readers
• Readers
– New equipment for registration : identity papers,
attested address
– Electronic storage of the readers pictures (october
2006)
– Consultation data stored in electronic file and
declared to the CNIL (BNF François Mitterrand site).
Filing of transmission forms (other sites)
– Regulations of public areas
– Fittings of reading rooms
– Random controls for staff and readers

19. Legal action
• Legal actions
– Systematic complaint registration
– Several actions and procedings to recover stolen
documents
• Cooperation
– With national and international police services (OCBC,
BRB, Interpol…)
– LIBER, International Council of Museums

20. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION