A Guided Tour of Sciences Po's Library

Did you know Sciences Po Library offers exceptional collections, among the richest in the world in the fields of humanities and social sciences? A true fountain of knowledge that nourishes the minds of students, teachers, and researchers. Time for a guided tour.

An internationally renowned library

With its vast collections and services tailored to the needs of all visitors, it is an invaluable tool for those who aspire to deepen their knowledge.

As an internationally recognised reference library in the social sciences, specifically in the field of political science, it holds the French research infrastructure label CollEx-Persée.

The library is active within major European associations such as LIBER (Europe’s research library community), SPARC, and COAR (Coalition of Open Access Repositories). It is a member of the Université Sorbonne Paris Cité (USPC) community of universities and institutions. It is also involved in national and international professional bodies and has been a depository for United Nations publications since 1947.

A "shuttle" library for Sciences Po's seven campuses

The Sciences Po Library is an emblematic place that embodies its academic excellence. Located at the heart of its seven campuses - Paris, Nancy, Dijon, Poitiers, Le Havre, Menton, and Reims - it offers dynamic spaces conducive to learning and research.

It operates as a "shuttle" library for Sciences Po's seven campuses, facilitating the circulation of documents. All users can request documents located in any of the seven campus libraries and return borrowed documents to any location.

This approach ensures accessibility for all students, professors, and researchers, while also promoting complementarity among the entire Sciences Po user community.

The concept of a collection takes on a whole new meaning in an environment that extends beyond a single library.

Facts and figures

• 1,000,000 documents, including 650,000 books
• 25 linear kilometers of shelves
• 11 reading rooms in Paris accommodating 3,500 visitors per day during the academic period
• 15,000 journals, annual publications, and newspapers, including 740 ongoing subscriptions
• 480,000 e-books
• 70,000 online journals
• 90 subscriptions to online databases
• 18,000 press files, of which 4,850 are digitised
• 860,000 digitised documents
• Over 1,000 DVDs and audio CDs (fiction and documentaries, audiobooks), and 5,000 streaming films

Watch the video tour of the Saint Thomas Library (in French) below:

Whether you are a student, teacher, or researcher, the library doors are always open with an impressive selection of resources. From classic works to the latest publications, specialised journals, digital documents, and online databases, everything is there to quench your thirst for knowledge.

A wide range of services

In addition to its diverse collections, the library also offers a wide range of services to support users in their research endeavours:

• Access to print and digital collections
• Sciences Po's open archive: Spire
• Sciences Po archives
• User training
• Research data management
• Iconography
• Digitisation
• Documentary valorisation and events

Experienced librarians are available to provide personalised assistance, research training, and advice to optimise research strategies. Users will also find collaborative workspaces, silent reading rooms, and computer workstations equipped with the latest technologies.

But the Sciences Po Library is much more than just a workspace. It is a place for meetings and exchanges, where conferences, debates, and exhibitions are regularly organised. It is a space where ideas can be shared, different perspectives can be confronted, and mutual enrichment can be achieved through various cultural events.

In summary, the Sciences Po Library is a beacon of knowledge within the university. It embodies Sciences Po's commitment to academic excellence and cutting-edge research. Whoever you are, don't miss the opportunity to immerse yourself in this unique library. It is ready to welcome you and help broaden your intellectual horizons.