Bibliothèque Et Archives Nationales Du Québec

The music collection is very good, the film collection is very good as well, one can find artsy-​fartsy films, the regular fare from Hollywood and TV series. The affiliation card is worth getting, it costs only 3 dollars. The collection can be checked online and if something is hard to get it can be reserved and, seemingly, as soon as it is available a notification will come by e-​mail. The availability of the materials can also be checked online, even if sometimes it´s not accurate because they are at the library but not returned to the shelves. The loans can also be renewed online. The literature section is a bit awkward since they have separate sections for fiction in English and French, yet the shelves are mixed and don´t follow a logical order so one has to roam around the floor trying to find anything, one shelf will be in English, the next in French and so on. Returning the materials is easy, it´s automated (via scanner and conveyor belt) or can be dropped at a box after the place is closed. I think the entire library is designed for self-​service, both for borrowing and returning, which is a very good thing since the employees always seem to be in a bad mood or get annoyed if someone dares to ask for help. There seems to be free WiFi, but it has never worked in my phone (perfection does not exist, after all), and there are no instructions on how to use it. There is a WiFi signal but no connection to the internet. For the most part it is a very good library but it´s bizarre that there is no access to the internet over smartphones, it´s 2016, after all.

This place is awesome! Getting here is easy as pie as it is directly connected to Berri-​UQAM metro. Once you arrive you’ll quickly see that it is massive. There are tons of books on all kinds of subjects and they have both English and French books. Seating is aplenty so if you come here to work you shouldn’t have trouble finding a spot. I also think they did a great job with the interior design. It has a very modern look to it and there are big windows looking out onto the street which allows for lots of natural light.
If you are a Montréal resident membership is free. There are a multitude of documents that you can use to prove this so check their website out. The most handy one is your driver’s license. You will need a membership if you come here and want to use the wi-​fi. It literally takes all of five minutes to get one so you have nothing to lose providing you live on the island. I’m not sure what the cost is for someone not from here.

Ouverte fin avril/​début mai 2005 dans le Quartier Latin/​Quartier des spectacles, la Grande Bibliothèque est maintenant une référence culturelle à Montréal. Nombreux rendez-​vous culturels/​expositions y ont lieu. On peut emprunter ou y consulter plus de quatre millions de documents /​livres /​journaux /​revues /​cartes /​films… Inscription gratuite avec preuves pour tous les résidents du Québec. Depuis maintenant 10 ans, elle a accueillie plus de 27 millions de visiteurs, elle est la plus fréquentée de la Francophonie et l’unes du monde. Espaces bien aménagés, agréable pour la lecture, connecté au métro de Montréal, station bixi à la porte et wifi gratuit. Bonne lecture & belle découverte aux Montréalais!
⁵⁄₅ visité depuis son ouverture en 2005.

OMG this is a beautiful, beautiful library for everything you ever want!!! I forget what life is like without the internet and Wikipedia. And for good ol’ research, this library helped me lots. My dear friend gave me the best tour and I became an expert in under 10 minutes.
Use the computers, find your topic, put the books into Your Basket, print the list. Take this slip and locate the books! That’s right! You walk through the shelves, and you look up and down for the freaking number!!! Like a caveman! just kidding
What is life like without Google? I am physically flipping through these beautiful books that nobody archived on the internet. Do I need thousands of irrelevant images of Pirate Ships, when I found my perfect History Of Ships book. Or accidentally stumble upon an even better book on anatomy. One better than the one I wanted. Maybe take this blue book over here too because, sure, I can read French I think.
Plenty of French books, but plenty of English books as well for the unfortunate Anglophone that is me.
When you’re done with the books, you do not close your tab and start a new search. You have to put the books on the little black trolley. And how many times have I NOT been able to find a book? I smile to my fellow stranger who, also, could not locate his book on his list. We would shuffle by each other several times. «Sorry.» «Excuse me.» «Go ahead.» «Sorry, me again.»
I really forgot what life is like without internet.
There is plenty of space to sit! You know how hard it is to find a spot to read in a library in Toronto and in universities and in coffee shops. Well at BANQ, this is not an issue. If you cannot find a seat in the centre of each floor, the sides have rows and rows of desks. These desks are gigantic. And I think I can say ALL DESKS have an outlet and a personal reading lamp.
It is a fantastic library, I’m so glad it lives.
You need to be a member to use WiFI and check out a book. If you live in Montréal, your membership is free. Their website explains what documents you need.

Sélection de contenu complètement hystérique partant des bandes dessinés allant au Blu-​Ray jusqu’à des discographies complètes. J’ai trouvé pratiquement tout les Armin Van Buuren et les Defected! J’en croit toujours pas mes yeux! Mon moment préféré a la bibliothèque c’est quand j’étudie. Au bout, avant les archives, il y a des bureaux immenses avec prises électriques et wifi (qui déconnecte a tout les 5 minutes) où je fait mes travaux avec une efficacité du jamais vu. Ça a sauvé ma session!

This might as well be my home. You will find me dissertating here most days of the week. I love it, and here is why:
I love that it has sunny open spaces for doing work, and darkened nooks for reading mysteries. I love that it has two Presse-​Cafés with very pleasant staff members. I love that the new returns system runs all returned materials on a conveyor belt, visible under glass. I love that the elevators are see-​thru. I love the design, especially the not so harsh but still very late modern angles. I love how many different places there are to study. I love that the journals section is well curated. I love that the museum downstairs does not only NOT suck, but is really quite good. I love the bike racks and the garden. I love that it’s filled with French books, like, ALL French books. (As an American getting a PhD in French literature, this is the stuff of dreams, people.) I love that they also have a very decent selection of novels in English. I love that their music selection is AMAZING. Amazing. Who’s your favorite indie band that no one’s heard of? They’ve got it. I love that they do interlibrary loans without blinking an eye. I love that it’s located right next to a thousand good cafés on Saint-​Denis for quick cheap study food access. I love that when it’s –30 C I do not have to step outside from the metro to the entrance. I love that they are truly public. I love that the people who work on the CD/​DVD floor KNOW that their materials are ALWAYS missing, even when the computer says otherwise, and they have the unending patience required to track things down.
My lifelong love of libraries has found a home. For now…

Every great city has a great library. No buts, ifs or maybes about it.
Whether it’s the Library of Celsus in ancient Ephesus, the great library of Alexandria, the New York Public Library, the Library of Congress in Washington DC or the Bibliotheque Nationale de Paris, if you want to be a great city, you need a great library. While our Bibliotheque comes no where near those aforementioned venerable institutions, it is still a young baby after all, it sure does a wonderful job of creating an accessible, welcoming public space for all to enjoy and make use of.
While their book selection for English titles is far more limited than their French title selection, not to worry, inter-​library loans from libraries in the rest of Quebec, Canada or even the United States can easily be arranged here. Wi-​Fi as noted in other reviews is indeed slow but membership at the library gives you access to online databases which you would normally need to pay for.
Think of ANY film title you can. Be it obscure titles from 1920’s Soviet Constructivism, 1930’s black and white films from Hollywood’s Golden Age, 1940s Italian Realism, 1950s TechniColor musicals, 1960s French New Wave, 1970s American cinéma vérité, or the darlings from the festival and awards circuits in the last few years. Chances are, you’ll find it. You can practically get a free education in Film Studies just by borrowing out their entire selection of Criterion Collection DVD titles of which the Bibliotheque has many, the choice of most film buffs. Their documentary selection is just as wide and varied.
Lots of quiet comfy places to read your books in peace, super-​helpful staff, fantastic selections of books, DVDs, and CDs, this place is a real gift to the citizens of Montréal.

I love this public library! I have visited on numerous occasions now and the collections are fantastic. The structure itself is beautiful and you can spend a fair amount of time just wandering around and seeing what is available on each floor.
It can get quite busy and I imagine may be difficult to find a quiet place to work on the weekend.
Direct access into the metro means that you don’t have to brave the cold in winter with a bundle of books under your arm! Really impressed!

It’s a very crowdy public library, so if you’re in search of a quiet place to work without headphones, the BANQ is not this place. Yet, for all the available resources available there (free with the membership), it’s just an amazing place! And if they don’t have your item, they will look with their partners (like the Montréal Libraries network or even universities libraries) to reserve it for you.
A very useful jewel for anyone who live here, and it’s open late! Now that’s very useful for any late-​nighter ;)

Bibliothèque gratuite lorsqu’on réside à Montréal (garantie d’une preuve de résidence pour obtenir son abonnement).
Grande, très grande bibliothèque! Au point qu’il y a toujours plein de gens que ce soit pour le prêt de livres, la lecture de livres (fauteuils sur place), pour le travail (ordinateurs à disposition avec un accès de 2h par personne à internet).
Par contre, qui dit localisation à Berri-​Uquam, dit aussi personnes démunies qui viennent trouver la chaleur du lieu et le confort des fauteuils, l’hiver.
Le choix de livres, voire même celui des CDs est très large. Plusieurs étages sont à disposition et classifiés par thème.
Elle est propre et sécurisée avec des gardiens qui rôdent pour le maintien de l’ordre et du calme. Car oui, c’est calme, très calme!

Nobody was quite sure of how the BANQ would turn out while it was being built. And then it was done, and it was beautiful. The library is a regular big unfriendly cube from the outside, but has a light and airy feel once inside. Most of the structure is glass (including the elevators! yay!), and a lot of the furniture/​wall partitions are wooden, which makes for a beautiful ambiance when the sun is shining. The library includes a lot of practical little details, designed to make your experience much more pleasant, the first one being its direct access to the Métro. I rather like the returns’ conveyor belt, the colorful self-​directed Reservations section, and the self-​serve borrowing machines are nifty.
I adore the place, let that be said, but there could be some improvements. The free wifi for example, is painfully slow, like dial-​up slow. Studying is a bit on the difficult side for me, since the place is crowded and/​or noisy. You can always study in the archives section completely at the back, but you’ll have to check most of your stuff in a locker.
Finding a book is a breeze, unless you are looking for something academical. My biggest pet peeve until recently was the CD/​DVD section. Until last year, unless you reserved an item a couple of months in advance, you’d be left with the biggest selection of Buster Keaton movies to watch. I think they are in the process of buying more and more backups and selection in general, which is great news! If I can give you a tip, always check the back of CDs or DVDs you plan on borrowing, they can be in really bad shape, if not missing altogether, in which case you’ll be charged. They also have a selection of movies to be viewed on the premises, just book a room, bring some pals and check out a movie. I think they might also lend records but don’t quote me on that. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can literally play musical chair on the 4^th floor, they have nooks with headphones, and stereos loaded with music prearranged by theme.

I guess it’s a bit strange to check out the local library when you’re doing the tourist thing, but this place was worth the visit. They had some great exhibits on display and some innovative ways to incorporate sound, which is nice in the quiet setting of a library.
The place is huge! There are lots of little nooks to get lost in with your nose in a book and there seemed to be a section for everyone.
The best thing about this location is that you can take the Metro and you don’t have to go outside!
I really could have spent hours here.

Gigantissime bibliothèque gratuite pour les Montréalais et qui regorge de livres, CD, films de tous les genres.
L’adhésion est gratuite moyennant quelques pièces d’identités. Quelques activités culturelles sont également offertes, mais je n’ai pas encore eu l’occasion d’y participer (elles affichent rapidement complets, bouh).
À l’aide de son code d’accès, il est possible d’effectuer des recherches dans le confort de son domicile. Ainsi, quand on arrive à la bibliothèque, on sait déjà ce dont on a besoin et où le trouver!
Le personnel est sympa et sait exactement où nous diriger lorsqu’on leur pose des questions.
Le choix est assez impressionnant. J’ai, entre autres choses, trouvé une biographie sur un musicien grec (pas le genre de bouquin qu’on trouve à la librairie du coin, disons) et un livre sur le journalisme que je né parvenais pas à dénicher à la biblio de mon université
Mon seul commentaire négatif serait le manqué d’espace où s’asseoir/travailler lorsqu’on y va en fin d’après-midi/début de soirée. Feuilleter des bouquins entre 2 rangées, pas toujours idéal. Sinon, ce lieu est fabuleux!

Un de mes endroits favoris pour étudier ou lire. La sélection d’ouvrages est infinie et hallucinante. Même mon homme qui né croyait pas trouver des ouvrages d’informatique s’est retrouvé bouche bée devant la quantité offerte.
Avantages: on peut louer des films, des séries, des cd audio, des livres et tout ça pour gratuitement. L’abonnement dure 2 ans est est gratuit a renouveler. Comme j’avais égaré ma carte on m’a chargé un maigre 3 $. Il y a des salles de bain sur tous les étages. Le coin des petits est parfaitement bien aménagé pour eux.
Désavantages: J’ai vraiment de la misère avec le monde qui né comprennent pas que nous nous trouvons dans une bibliothèque. FARMEZ-​VOUS !! Quasi chaque fois que j’y vais pour être tranquille je me retrouve prise avec des gens qui parlent fort, qui regardent des vidéos avec son sur leur ordinateur, et aucun membre du personnel, quoi que bien présents, né semble remarquer, ou font-​il semblant de né pas les entendre…
C’est pas un endroit pour ’ chiller ’ il me semble.
Autres accomodements: ascenseurs, café presse au r-​d-​c

This place could, hands down, be one of the best investments the city of Montréal has done. You can access it right from the Berri-​UQAM metro station, without having to go outside (no need to explain why that is practical in the winter).
It is free if you live in the city of Montréal. You will have to get membership though (which is free). Bring your ID and anything with your address on it (Cell phone bill, Videotron, Hydro…). You will get fined if you do not return your rented item (s) on time.
You can rent books, music CDs and movies! They have exhibits too. Lower floor is for children.
There are MANY spots to just chill and read a book. There are also selected spots to listen to a CD or watch a DVD.
Decoration: Pretty and very well maintained, on the inside and out.
(they have drinking fountains inside btw)

La collection est impressionante et si vous né faites que visiter Montréal une visite s’impose pour admirer l’architecture de cette bibliothèque.
Le 4ième étage regorge de musique, films, partitions etc etc. pour tous les goûts et de toutes les époques!
La collection Nationale est aussi impressionante et elle est disponible en consultation sur place.
Seul point négatif… il me semble qu’il n’y a pas assez de tables de travail.

This place is free for Montrealers, you can rent a movie, a music CD or a book all for free and the selection is quite impressive. There are lots of places to sit and browse the bookstore or prepare exams. The place looks great from inside, while the exterior looks like the usual «washroom» style Montréal architects favor these days. On the minus side, the building is located on the extremity of the gay district; the place feels sometimes like a pick up spot for males, which could get a bit uncomfortable. Also, the toilets are pitiful, especially for a building with such a suggesting exterior.
All in all, a most seen place in Montréal.

En France, on a la réputation d’être des rats de bibliothèques et de flâner le long des couloirs à la recherché du livre unique… Pas moi, je préfère ma librairie de quartier plutôt que les grandes biblio qui possèdent leur lot de bibliothécaires mal lunées et peu aidantes.
Celle de Montréal est tout le contraire et m’a même réconcilié avec les bibliothécaires !!
A chaque fois, je viens à la recherché d’un livre ou d’une archive, généralement pour mes cours et repart avec 5 ou 6 ouvrages. J’adore m’y balader, le personnel est très chaleureux, professionnel et surtout spécialisé: chacun sa discipline et l’un né dit jamais le contraire de l’autre !
Le dimanche matin est mon horaire préféré, pas trop de monde mais quelques enfants pour ensoleiller la matinée, des gens de bonne humeur et peu d’étudiants donc moins de pression pour réviser ou faire ses recherches ! Attention, prévoyer d’emprunter vos livres avant midi.
J’adore aussi l’espace de cette biblio, cette espèce de grand cube de savoir qui donne envie de s’y perdre et d’assouvir sa soif de connaissance. C’est très aéré du fait de la construction en verre, moderne, design et aussi vivant.
L’inscription est gratuite vous donnant accès aux emprunts, au wifi mais aussi à des bases de données en ligne de très grande qualité comme JStor. Chaque membre possède un code d’accès permettant d’accéder aux bases à la maison, à l’espace de recherché, de réserver ses livres ou de se mettre en attente lorsqu’il est déjà emprunté !
Le top du top? Le coup de fil de la bibliothécaire qui vous informe que votre réservation est bien arrivée et vous attend pour être dévorée !
Bonne lecture…

This huge library is such a gift to the area and to the city, it’s really amazing. There are zen quiet places to sit and read, study, or just dream. There is actually a huge English fiction section and a fricken awesome floor devoted to CDs and DVDs — this area gets packed on evenings and weekends, but check it out on weekday morning if you want to take some time to enjoy. Membership at the library is free for anyone with a Montréal mailing address (just bring some ID and a hydro bill and that should do it) and this gets you access to the whole library network of 43 libraries in the Mtl area. At the National library there are beautiful exhibits on different floors that change over time. There’s a well equipped exhibition /​conference space in the basement, and during the summer the back alley between the library and St Denis functions as a second hand bookstore where the library sells old or duplicate stock, and the library is connected to Berri metro underground and to UQAM which is super useful in the depths of Montréal’s wild winters.

J’adore cette bibliothèque. Déjà elle est immense (4 étages je crois) et elle propose un très, très large choix de livres, journaux et même CD et DVD! Ensuite, le personnel est super agréable, patient et très compétent. Tout est bien organisé et on trouve facilement ce que l’on cherche. Enfin, leur site internet est très bon et facilite beaucoup la vie aux membres qui peuvent par ce biais rechercher et réserver des documents, mais aussi en repousser (3 fois) la date de remise. Ceci dit, les pénalités de retard sont ridiculement basses. Bref, tout semble vraiment être orienté vers l’utilisateur. Et en plus c’est gratuit si vous êtes résident de Montréal (pensez juste à prendre une preuve de résidence avec vous lors de votre inscription).