The English-Language Library in Angers celebrates its 20 years

The English Language Library in Angers will celebrate "twenty years of library services" with a series of events taking place from November 26th to December 1st. The facility looks to be astonished to be still there after two decades. "How extraordinary it is to think that the library is now celebrating its 20th anniversary and over 2 000 members" the community indicates on its website. The most important achievement of a few volunteers and employees is not the library by itself, even if that one "is holding one of the largest collections of books in English in France" but its attractiveness : "the library is full of people finding books, friendship and cultural exchanges. The library is a vibrant institution", its team proudly notices.

During the next days, a dozen of events have been planned which illustrate the attachment of Angers inhabitants to that little facility founded in 1993 : photo exhibit of the history of the library, electronic slideshow of photos from the past 20 years, videos in which members express why they love their library, a "best tasting cake contest" with twenty candles (who will blow them out?), a signing and presentation of a book written by Philip Séjourné, founding president of the library, titled "L'écrivain du phare Saint-Yves" which is a personal tribute to his experience in several English speaking countries (Nov 29th at 11.am). Opportunely, that will end with a "Semaine de la cinéma en langue anglaise", at the Les 400 Coups.

The English-Language Library is original because its first collections went to Angers from Nantes (generally it's the opposite). When the American Library of Paris withdrew its financial support, the Angers facility choose its current title, in part because its "public came to include more and more English-speaking people, residents of the city or of the department and many of them British origin". The facility is located at 60 Boisnet street and is funded by the Conseil général of Maine-et-Loire, the city of Angers, the Angers university and the Western Catholic University.