During this period, while meeting with friends and drinking red wine, I am working. Last Saturday I finished a draft paper about our Voix des Kivus project in Congo, which I shared with Macartan and hopefully soon with the wider world. And today I finished data entry of a Congolese village: this is part of the data I collected recently (and is currently being collected) in South Kivu. There is one major reason why I am quite productive here in Paris: the Mitterand Library of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France. This is one of the largest and most modern libraries in the world and its construction was announced on 14 July 1988 by... former-French President François Mitterrand. The library was designed by the architectural firm of Dominique Perrault (thanks Wikipedia!). I have to say: they did an amazing job.
A picture I stole from the internet. Check the court-jungle.
Last Friday I obtained a personal, electronic card that gives me access to the Research Area of the Mitterand Library: an enormous area, very quiet, and with lots of reading and work space. Show your Columbia University ID and also take some other form of ID with you (passport, driver's license), smile at the people that have to approve you (you never know with the French), and you have access.
One of the halls. To the right the study halls. To the left view on the court-yard.
One of the study halls. The area where I'm now spending my days.
The Mitterand Library was inaugurated on 15 December 1996 and contains more than ten million volumes (this is the same for Columbia University). Location is also good: on the 14 and the C lines. Very important note: after visiting the Mitterand Library also visit "The Frog and British Library": a good, well-known bar next door.
Ooh pictures. Allez les étudiants, aux livres.
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