Library
The library, which has been part of École Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Paris since its earliest days, holds around 200,000 physical documents and over 200 million documents online.
It focuses on access to electronic resources, the promotion of researchers’ publications, scientific outreach (European Heritage Days, Fête de la science, meetings, etc.) and the organisation of networks (Mines Paris – PSL, Sudoc, HAL, BNF, etc.).
Distributing scientific documentation
The library presents the catalogue of its own collections and all its services on its document portal.
The library is spread over four sites:
- Paris (science, engineering, economics and society)
- Fontainebleau (geosciences and environment)
- Evry (materials)
- Sophia-Antipolis (materials, energy, applied mathematics)
The library’s written heritage
A Resource for Research in the History of Science
Particular emphasis is placed on the heritage dimension of the collections, which serve as a key resource for the community of researchers in the history of science and technology. Their enhancement relies in particular on high-quality digitization initiatives.
In this capacity, the library is an associated partner of the Bibliothèque nationale de France.
An Outstanding Historical Collection
Established in 1794, the library holds a remarkable heritage collection in scientific fields.
The rare books and special collections reserve includes more than 30,000 volumes, spanning from the early 16th century to 1940.
Continuous Growth of the Collections
Today, the heritage collection is primarily enriched through donations of printed materials or private archives related to the School, as well as through transfers of public archives produced by the institution itself.
More occasionally, acquisitions complement these holdings, particularly for exceptional documents directly related to the history of the School, its research centers, or the engineers of the Corps des Mines.
Mineralis
The Digital Library
Mineralis is the digital library of Mines Paris – PSL, accessible online to all audiences. It provides access to a wide range of resources from the School, including archives, student work, scientific publications, images, videos, and historical instruments.
The platform enables users to explore heritage collections—some dating back to the 16th century—while also showcasing contemporary research. It also offers curated editorial spaces (photo libraries, thematic collections, research projects) and is built on a collaborative model, allowing users to contribute to the enrichment of its content.
Support for the School’s teaching and research activities
The library also plays an important educational role, helping to train students, postgraduates, researchers and teachers to make the best use of the resources available to them (online subscriptions, catalogue and database research, Zotero software, etc.), as well as dealing with issues relating to scientific integrity, respect for copyright, plagiarism in the academic environment and the opening up of research data.
Online catalogue Online resource subscriptions
Getting to the Library in Paris
The Paris library is open to the general public, subject to registration. Its collections cover many of the School’s fields of study and research: energy and processes, mechanics, materials, economics, management, society, mathematics and systems, history of science, scientific culture, arts, humanities and languages. It is also possible to consult its heritage collection.
