How to use the Archives nationales de France (le CARAN site, Paris)

I’ve been asked by these kind folks to write up some “how tos” for the archives I’ve been using in Paris on the model of their recent post on the Bibliothèque nationale de France.  A recent H-France inquiry on the Archives nationales de France (AN) has given me the impetus to start there.  This will be a basic primer, rendering the slightly confusing French website (it’s better than most, mind you) into a primer in English with just the information I’ve needed in order to use the archives.  Note that my documents are all strictly nineteenth-century (c. 1848-1900); I therefore have not needed to use microfilm (sometimes necessary to view older, fragile documentation) or to fill out a dérogation (sometimes needed for modern, personal, and/or sensitive documents).  I’m also a digital camera user, so I haven’t asked for photocopies yet, though I know that in the AN one simply fills out a form and hands it to someone at Guichet 2.  Finally, as the title of the post indicates, this information is solely regarding the CARAN (Le Centre d’accueil et de recherche des Archives nationales) site in Paris; the AN also has a site at Fountainbleau for more modern records.

Before you hit the archives, take a look at the online research tools, which are far more complete than many other archives in Paris.  “Far more complete” being relative to “almost nothing” and “nothing,” in most cases, so you do still have to go pay a visit to the inventory room at the AN itself.  If you’re only planning a preliminary visit and therefore are thinking of buying a week-long pass (5 Euros, 2.5 Euros for students, 7 days), you can also get a free “laissez-passez” for one day from the front desk in order to just look at inventories.  Otherwise, most people will head straight, photo-ID in hand, for the room across the lobby for a year-long pass (20 Euros, 10 Euros for students).  You can pre-register online, but there’s little point unless you have one or two cartons you wish to see immediately.

Before heading up to the reading rooms, you have to check your stuff in the free, but obligatory, lockers.  They just installed new combination locks, so don’t worry about having change in your pocket.  However, the locks aren’t the most user-friendly; find an open locker that only turns a quarter of the way, put your stuff in, hold in the small button on the lock (with the door still open), set your code, close the door and spin the numbers.  I sound like a condescending ass in explaining this so minutely, but I’ve been asked if I need help twice now and if I could help someone else four times and counting (and I’ve only been going there a few weeks on this research trip). So important things you can bring and use in the reading rooms: computer, notebooks and paper (but not books to read or anything that could be mistaken for a document), pencils (no pens!!), camera (no flash), and tripod. Put your stuff in the plastic bags available in the lockers and head on up.

First thing to do in the reading room is ask for a seat at the main counter, across from the information desk.  You can ask for a certain area in the room or to sit with someone entering with you, but bureaucratic nonsense kicks in if you ask for a specific seat or to change seats.  If you receive a red seat number, your documents have special rules that you’ll have to ask about; I believe they revolve around fragility and photography.  You pick up your documents in the same room that you get a seat number.  If you’ve requested some materials online or in advance, give the workers your reader card, if you requested documents that day tell them your seat number, and if you have documents on hold give them the slip for the document you want (you’ll already have this).  You can request two documents in advance and five for the same day; you can never have more than seven codes out in your name at the same time; it takes about 1.5 hours for documents to arrive that are requested the same day, but anything ordered for the next day before 3:00p will be available in the morning.  Finally, you make the actual requests int he computer room directly across from the window where you collect cartons you’ve requested.  There’s usually someone in there if you have trouble working the computers.

I actually really like working at the AN.  The staff is friendly and there’s plenty of restaurants (for those with good funding), bakeries (adequate funding), grocery store (starvation funding [see the G20 around the corner on rue Vieille du temple]) in the area if you don’t want to pack a lunch everyday.  It’s also very easy to meet other American/British researchers, simply through the sheer amount of people who work there.  Have fun!

The Archives nationales, CARAN site is located at 11 rue des Quatre Fils, 75003 PARIS.  Metro, Hôtel de Ville, Filles du Calvaire, or Rambuteau.  Open Monday through Saturday, 9:00a – 4:45p.  Documents may be requested on site Monday through Friday, 9:00a – 3:00p for same day consultation.