The Library offers a wide range of services. Book loans, access to online ressources, book purchase suggestions are available to Paris Observatory students and researchers.
If they are registered, the following people can borrow a document :
Observatory staff, including permanent staff, affiliated and invited scientists, emeritus staff and long duration visitors
Observatory students : Ph.D., Master, DU students
People working at Paris Observatory one month or more
Permanent staff from institutions which have signed a partnership agreement including a document clause with Paris Observatory
Conditions under which documents can be borrowed :
Documents can be borrowed for a one month period, which can be renewed five times
You can borrow up to 20 documents
Old, precious or damaged documents cannot be borrowed
Interlibrary Loan (ILL)
This service is available to readers who are staff or students at Paris Observatory. The Interlibrary Loan service allows the reception or reproduction of documents available in external libraries. The delay of reception for copies is of 2 to 3 days ; for books, it is of 3 to 4 days.
The readers are free to use the digital documents for private or non-commercial public purposes. The use of documents for commercial purposes is subject to prior approval from the Library, leads to the payment of royalties and, when relevant, to the donation of a copy of the monograph or periodical.
The first works written by Paris Observatory scientists were printed at l’Imprimerie Royale. In 1671 Mémoires pour servir à l’histoire des animaux by Claude Perrault, also architect for l’Observatoire, and la Mesure de la Terre de Jean Picard were published.
During the 19th century and the first part of the 20th century, Paris Observatory became a real publisher in astronomy and meteorology, especially via the printer Gauthier-Villars.
Today, the Library is co-editor of publications in astronomy-astrophysics and history of sciences. The Libray has already worked with Vuibert, EDP sciences, Hermann, Gallimard, de Monza, Vrin.