Yesterday, I went to the Biblioth�que Nationale de France. For those who don't know it, I consider it to be a huge insult to architecture. I don't know anything about architecture, so I'm pretty sure it's all revered and shit, but I personally can't stand the place. It feels like Poland. Not that I've ever been there, either. There's just something very cold and communist about the BNF that sorta creeps me out.
Because I play with the big kids, I have been awarded a special research card that gives me special access to special rooms. But I had no idea just how special these rooms are.
DUUUUUUUUUDE. That library trip was CRAZY. When you get there, you have to hand over everything you own, and they give you a see-through briefcase to keep your stuff in. My theory is that this avoids a) stolen books and b) weapons, but it seems a little overboard. I mean, that's what all those metal detectors are for, right?
After you check in your stuff, you go through several huge metal doors. Then you are in an entirely metal room, and you go through another set of metal doors. It felt just like the walk-in fridge at the restaurant I used to work at, minus the cold and the organic cheeses.
But when you walk out of there? HUUUUUUGE one-person-wide escalator that takes you down to the underground.
And that's where you do your research. In the super duper basement. To get there, you have to pass another card control and metal refrigerator again, of course.
The next step is reserving a spot at one of their ginormous tables. Fine. You do this on a computer, by inserting your card (it has a chip, of course) and selecting a spot in a sort of online-ish type of program. You also enter the books you need on the computer. You go into the big room and find your seat amongst the others (90% of whom have laptops... I felt very old-fashioned with my pen and paper technique), and wait for your books. When they have your books ready, a green light buzzes in front of you (it's very small) on the table. You go to the librarian's desk, hand over your card, and they give you your books. If you need anything else, you have to "ask" online.
The whole thing felt incredibly Brave New World-ish and very cold. If you leave the room, you have to hand over your books for a "temporary leave." You are authorized two hours, max.
To me, libaries are all about cruising the shelves and picking up random books on things you never thought you would read about. The BNF peeople want to avoid that by having ULTIMATE CONTROL at all times. And man. They really have that whole control thing down.
At any rate, now that I know how it works, the whole process is a little less intimidating. I'm going back on Wednesday, but I'm going to be sure to bring along The Boy's laptop so I can fit in with the other drones.
Leave a comment