ENS Humanities and Social Science Library – rue d'Ulm site
The Library of Arts and Humanities on Rue d'Ulm—the oldest library at the École Normale Supérieure—and the Library of Humanities and Social Sciences on Boulevard Jourdan constitute a single library at the École Normale Supérieure. The Ulm-Jourdan library has a high-level scientific collection, with a rich collection of 770,000 volumes (including antique books, iconography, researcher archives, and manuscripts) and provides access to 268,000 digital books and 45,000 electronic journal titles, the vast majority of which are shared within the PSL University.
The Ulm Library of Arts and Humanities is the successor to the historic library of the École Normale. Located in the heart of the 45 rue d'Ulm site, open 65 hours per week, it has 677,000 volumes spread across seven reading rooms (4,600 m²). Strongly influenced by the emblematic figure of Lucien Herr, who directed it from 1888 to 1926, the history of the Ulm Library has been closely linked to that of the École itself since 1794. Its heritage and archive collections reflect the complexity and richness of this history.
A veritable laboratory for the arts, humanities, and social sciences, it develops its collections in all fields of the humanities, in close connection with the teaching and research carried out at the ENS.
Access terms
Library membership is automatic upon registration for:
- Normaliens enrolled in the ENS Diploma (DENS): national entrance exam / international selection / institutional exam (registration included in tuition fees);
- Master's students and doctoral students at PSL currently enrolled, preparing for their diploma at ENS (registration included in tuition fees);
- Former ENS students, former teachers-researchers and researchers at the school (registration fee: €40);
- Auditors following a specific course taught partially or entirely at ENS who have previously registered with the school to access this course (registration included in tuition fees);
- École normale supérieure staff: teacher-researchers, researchers, lecturers, emeritus professors, administrative and library staff (free of charge);
- Researchers and technical and administrative staff (ITA) from joint and associated units (free of charge);
- Visiting professors (free of charge).
Upon authorization:
- Annual readers authorized upon justification of research (annual registration fee: €60);
- Accredited PSL students (free);
- Students in programs co-sponsored or co-accredited by the ENS (free);
- Students enrolled in approved bachelor's degree programs (free);
- Temporary visitors and readers: subject to conditions.
Lending terms
Loan conditions vary according to user category and type of document: 5 or 20 documents for 4 weeks, renewable twice.
ENS Humanities and Social Science Library – rue d'Ulm site
