French Library and Cultural Center

Founded over 50 years ago, the French Library and Cultural Center, the largest institution of its kind in New England, houses an impressive collection of French books (30,000 volumes), periodicals, films, audio and video cassettes. In addition to the extensive library, the Center offers year-round programs including language classes, lectures, concerts, cooking demonstrations, and art exhibitions. Their mission is to promote French language and culture by serving and educating the culturally diverse Francophone and Francophile communities of Boston and New England.

The librarians are at your service for information, advice and answers by e-mail, fax, telephone, correspondence and in person. The library's strengths are to be found in the humanities, particularly in social studies, literature and literary criticism (French and Francophone), history and the cinema. Its reference services are supported by a substantial collection of current and reliable resources. Reading rooms, reference books and stacks are open to the general public for consultation and browsing. To have the privilege and responsibility of borrowing books/ magazines/ cassettes or videos, however, one must become a member.

Membership Benefits

• Library borrowing privileges
• Reduced admission to cultural programs
• Subscription to a bi-monthly newsletter, Le Bibliophile
• A 10 % discount on all books at Schoenhof's Foreign Books
• A 15% discount at all Globe Corner Bookstores
• A reduced parking rate (with validation) at the Back Bay Garage

Annual Membership Fees

• Individual: $40/ year (Full membership benefits with one card.)
• Student /Senior: $25/ year (Full membership benefits with one card.)
• Family: $50/ year (Full membership benefits for two adult and minor children living at the same address. Expanded library borrowing privileges.)
• Friend: $100/ year (Family benefits plus 20% discount on one French course. 2 tickets to Ciné Club 2. Tickets to the Bastille Day Street Dance. A complimentary subscription to France magazine.)
• Academic: $45/ year (Academic Memberships offer services to local schools and universities. Please contact Elizabeth Szostak-Clerc, Education Coordinator.)
• Corporate $1000+/ year (Please contact the Membership Department.)

Membership registration may be accomplished online or by mail.

Address: 53 Marlborough Street, Boston, MA 02116-2099
Phone: (617) 912-0400; fax #: (617) 266-1780
E-mail: library@frenchlib.org, librarian@frenchlib.org, (or) info@frenchlib.org
Web site: http://www.frenchlib.org/

Library Hours: Tuesday - Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Closed: Sunday, Monday, all Massachusetts holidays, Saturdays in July, and July 25 through Labor Day (first Monday in September).
Cultural Center Administrative Hours: Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Academic Research Links

Alliance Française Chapters Links to more than 30 chapters in the U.S., plus all Canadian and International offices of the Alliance Française which maintain web sites. American Association of Teachers of French (AATF) The AATF was founded in 1927. Based at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, it is the largest national association of French teachers in the world, serving nearly 10,000 members. Bibliothèque Nationale de France The BNF, more recently referred to as the "TGB" (for Très Grande Bibliothèque) by virtue of its newest quadruple-tower complex along the Seine, was founded by Louis XI more than 500 years ago. Le Centre Pedagogique Janice Paulsen of the University of Richmond's French Dept. has constructed a useful collection of annotated links to French instructional applications and language technology web sites. Francophone Public Libraries and Archives "Tennessee Bob" Peckham, Director of the Globe-Gate project at University of Tennessee/Martin, provides a list of links to libraries in France, Belgium, Quebec, and Switzerland. French Language Links A collection of resources on French language — including dictionaries, grammar guides, foreign language associations, video instruction, and study abroad programs. Print Libraries in France — FYI France Jack Kessler has assembled an index of academic resources for France, some free and some by paid subscription only. This database of libraries is more than just a list; in some cases, Jack provides extensive commentary on a library's holdings. Teaching Foreign Language — A Library of Classroom Practices Illustrating effective instruction and assessment strategies, the Annenberg/CPB series documents 27 teachers and their students in K-12 classrooms around the country as they study eight languages across a range of competency levels. Typing Accents and Diacritical Marks The Tech Help page at Colby College's Language Resource Center provides tips on keyboard lay-outs and key combinations for typing foreign letter accents — such as é, à, ô, ü, etc. — on Macs and PCs.

Nominate A Site — Submit An Article!

Academic Research Do you know of a great web page we should list here? Are you the webmaster for a site devoted to instruction of French language, or academic resources on the arts, culture, history, and literature of France? Please explore our subtopics to see where your link would be most appropriate, then submit it! Are you an author, educator, student or traveler who would like to write an article for the enjoyment of our francophile community? Please download our author's guidelines (48K PDF). Thank you!