Located in the Bastille district, the Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal is the former residence of the great masters of artillery. From 1756, the Marquis de Paulmy built a vast encyclopedic collection, which was transformed into a public library in 1797. In 2012, she received the label Maison des illustres.
The library offers more than one million documents for consultation: books, journals, manuscripts, prints, maps and plans, music… Its reading rooms form part of the BnF Research Library. Usually accessible only on proof of research, the library exceptionally opens its doors to the public for a visit to its reading rooms and lounges as well as a demonstration of the restoration workshops.