Challenges

The Institut de France was eager to make its entire cultural heritage collection available to the general public.

In 2021, the Libraries Department initiated a major project to showcase its collections, and in 2022,  the Institute launched a digital library that serves as the one-stop digital showcase for exploring the entire written and documentary heritage held in the Institute’s different institutions.

Eight institutions are custodians of the Institut de France’s written and documentary heritage: the library of the Institut de France, the Bibliothèque Mazarine, Fondation Dosne-Thiers, the Académie des Sciences, the Archives de l’Institut, Château de Chantilly, Musée Jacquemart-André, and the Académie des Beaux-Arts.

The Institut de France’s digital library provides access to a selection of digitised works of art and objects from their holdings and collections.

Users can utilise the online library to search the entire collection or a selection of institutions depending on their requirements.

This website, which is based on the digital library solution that Arkhênum proposed, is equipped with the very latest features, including a high-definition viewer, full-text search, and compatibility with the international IIIF standards.

Arkhênum’s graphics team project managed its design alongside the Institut de France’s project team, which was made up of various contributing institutions.

Growing the online service

At present, Visitors to the Digital Heritage Library can consult the digital collections of three institutes: the library of the Institut de France, the Bibliothèque Maz­arine and the Fondation Dosne-Thiers. 

The other institutions are working on building their digital collections to help expand the Institut de France’s online heritage offering.

Digitisation for better preservation and promotion

Digitisation campaigns are already underway, and new institutions (and new digital assets) will soon be available on the platform.

Arkhênum is also working with several of the Institute’s institutions to digitise their collections.

First and foremost, digitisation continues for the Bibliothèque Mazarine, including manuscripts from Notre Dame.

Digitisation is also in progress for the other institutions attached to the Institut de France:  the Château de Chantilly – home to the Duke of Aumale’s diaries – and the Institut de France Archives, which include the logbooks of the Académie de l’Architecture et des Beaux-Arts.

View them soon on the digital library!