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Origin and history

The Georges Pompidou library of Châlons-en-Champagne has its origins in the revolutionary confiscations of the 18th century. About 40,000 pounds, seized in the convents and religious houses of the city, were gathered at the abbey of Saint-Pierre-aux-Monts and then at the Central School of Châlons. In 1820, the library was transferred to the Dubois Hotel in Crance, where it remained until 1999. Ranked by the state in 1897 thanks to the legacy of the scholar Jules Garinet, his collections enriched themselves through the Legal Printer Deposit and donations, such as that of the private library of Léon Bourgeois.

The current building, inaugurated in 2001, combines an 18th-century hotel — the former Ecu hotel in France — with a modern structure designed by Paul Chemetov. The latter, formerly a prestigious hotel house that had welcomed Henry IV, was rebuilt between 1801 and 1807 after its acquisition in 1795. The façade, which was listed as historical monuments in 1970, is attributed to architect Nicolas Durand. The hotel also housed the Schiller-Goethe Museum since 1992, thanks to a gift of memories of the poet.

The media library, labeled Regional Municipal Library (BMVR), preserves 30,000 vinyl records, medieval manuscripts, and local archives such as Le Journal de la Marne (1815–1949). It organizes exhibitions (e.g. 60 years of drawings by Cabu in 2006) and cultural animations. Since 2020, it has been offering video games and a fablab, the OctoLab, while digitizing its funds for platforms like Gallica.

The former hotel of the Écu de France, built in stone of Savonnières, has a six-span facade with triangular pediments and Louis XVI balusters. In 1978, it was acquired by the city and was occupied successively by an office of the carriages (1758–76), a post office during the flight of Louis XVI, and a grocery store (Les Ecos, 1898–1978). The sculpted console with a human head, vestige of the 12th century, bears witness to its medieval history.

The media library network includes two annexes: Diderot (southeast quarter) and Gulliver (Rive-Gauche, inaugurated in 2013). The digital library, initially the Extrapole (2013–2023), is now Limédia Mosaic. Its missions extend to shared conservation, such as copies of the Union (since 1987) or children's animated books (since 2007).

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