The Bibliothèque nationale du Québec: A New Place of Culture Well Rooted in its Time

Abstract

Created in 1967, the Bibliothèque nationale du Québec (BNQ) has seen its initial mission of preserving Québec's documentary heritage considerably enriched in recent years. As a result, like many other national libraries in the world, the BNQ has been asked to become a large public library and to extend its field of action throughout its territory. Accordingly, in April 2005 the BNQ will inaugurate a new building in the heart of Montréal with holdings of four million documents, provide a large range of services on site and via remote access through an Internet portal, and offer its users a rich programme of training and cultural activities. The last step of growth, later in 2005, will be the merger of the Archives nationales du Québec and the Bibliothèque nationale, which was ratified by a law passed in December 2004. Equipped with vast documentary resources and basing its operations on advanced technological architecture, the BNQ intends to become a unique place of meeting and exchange in its community. At a time when the burgeoning of real and virtual information can create the illusion of unlimited access to knowledge, the BNQ also wishes to be a place of true intellectual freedom, unconstrained by the pressures of fashions and markets, a place in which excellent library science professionals will be able to guide all users, in an atmosphere of respect and neutrality.