Our Collection

The largest collection of French items in the UK

La Médiathèque offers a wide range of multimedia documents for everybody who loves French culture.
The best way to get a sense of the extent of our collection is to consult our online catalogue with over 50,000 items just waiting to be found.

Our resources are particularly rich in the following fields:
– French Cinema & Music: more than 5000 films on DVD (with subtitles) and 5000 CDs
– French Language: a tailor-made corner for beginners to advanced levels
– French Newspapers and Magazines: more than 1500 popular titles
– French Literature: classic and contemporary novels, in book, audiobook and e-book format. Join our Reading group to discover more great literary works
– French History: a full panorama with a special focus on WW2. The documents with more historical value are stored in our archives and are available upon request (library@institut-francais.org.uk).

We also offer a large collection of French comics, visual art books as well as documents about contemporary France and French thought.

To borrow documents, you have to become a member of the Institut français. Please visit our loan conditions page to find out more.

To find out more about our collection for kids, please visit our babies and kids collection page.

Can’t find a specific document? Take a look at our digital library Culturethèque or send us your suggestions by email at library@institut-francais.org.uk.

Want to know more about your favourite topic or get some reading advice from a specialist? Find the list and contact details of our librarians in our About Us page.

To discover the facilities we offer at the Médiathèque, take a look at our Info page.