Designing and Producing a Library’s Catalogue for an Engineering School in 19th Century France: The Ecole des Ponts et Chaussées’ First General Printed Catalogue (1872)

Résumé :

This article is devoted to the first general printed catalogue of the École des Ponts et Chaussées (EPC) library, which was published in 1872 and whose production spanned several decades. The article opens with a historical account of the EPC library, and proceeds to examine the principal episodes that shaped the conception, maturation, and implementation of the 1872 catalogue, while its last part is concerned with the place of mathematical sciences—rational and applied mechanics included—within that document. Finally, the article’s conclusion offers some general reflections on the process of designing and crafting library catalogues for engineering schools dedicated to the production of State engineers in 19th century France, while a special attention is given to the “patrimonialization” work carried out by those involved in the devising of the 1872 catalogue.