Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Nancy Municipal Library (BMN) originated in 1750 when Duke Stanislas Leszczynski founded a public library, which became a municipal library in 1803. Its historic seat, built between 1770 and 1789, houses woodwork inherited from the University of Pont-à-Mousson, transferred to Nancy in 1769 by the Jesuits. This place preserves specialized collections on Lorraine, an old fund and a legal printer deposit, while offering modern services such as grain libraries or a digital library, Limédia.

The network extended after 1945, with the opening in 1991 of the media library Manufacture in an old tobacco factory, designed by architects Christian François and Patricia Henrion. Five local libraries, which have been closed since then, have been replaced by the Haut-du-Lièvre media libraries (in the process of moving for 2026) and Saint-Pierre, as well as a Ludothèque integrated into the Saint-Sébastien shopping centre. The Co-libris network, launched in 2013, links these sites with neighbouring municipalities (Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, Laxou) and museum libraries.

Partially classified as historical monuments in 1946 (facades, roofs and reading rooms), the building of 43 Stanislas Street embodies the legacy of the Enlightenment and the evolution of cultural practices. Recent renovations, such as the reopening of the Manufacture media library in April 2024 after work, illustrate its contemporary dynamics. The future Haut-du-Lièvre building, scheduled for 2026, will mark a new stage in its adaptation to the needs of users.

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