Welcome to our French library!

Our library is a must-visit place if you are interested in French language, France and Francophone culture. Its collection is the largest collection of documents in French in the Eastern of India. Our media library aims to help you discover, explore and improve your knowledge of contemporary francophone cultures and language. It offers a wide range of tools for both learners and teachers of French. You will find a wide-range of books on various subjects, for every age, language level, and interest.

The main collections of the library comprise the following sections:

  • Learner’s library: French textbooks sorted by levels, grammar books and DELF/DALF study materials to practice French.
  • Fiction (literature’s classics, latest awarded books of contemporary French literature) and non-fiction.
  • Children’s corner.
  • Comics for adults and young readers

You can view resources available in our library using our online catalogue here: Here is our online catalog.

Anyone may visit the library and enjoy the collections. However, a membership with the library is required to access specific services like borrowing documents and accessing our French digital library, Culturethèque.

Library Hours

  • For memberships and issuing of books: 11 pm to 6 pm, Monday to Saturday.
  • For guidance and advice: Tuesday (10:30 am to 1:30 pm), Thursday (10:30 am to 1:30 pm), Friday (3 pm to 6 pm), Saturday (11 pm to 5:30 pm).

Library visit

If you’re a school partner of the AFdB or an AFdB teacher, please contact us to organize a library visit with your class.

Types of Members

  1. Internal Students*
  2. Staff, Teachers, Committee members 
  3. External Members* 

Access to the offline as well as online library is completely free for internal students, current staff, teachers and committee members. 

*Only residents of West Bengal, Orissa and North-East India are eligible to become member of AFdB library. Residents of other states must contact the library of the closest Alliance.

Who can be considered as an internal student?

An internal student is a student of a general course (vs workshops, conversation classes etc.) who has paid the registration fee of Rs. 2490 when enrolling for the first time. This registration remains valid throughout the time the student is enrolled at AFdB. In case the student interrupts his enrollment, the registration fee remains valid only for one year since the day she/he had initially paid the registration.

Ex: If a C1 student (having been enrolled at AFdB since A1) does not enroll for C2, her/his registration (and therefore access to the library) stops to be valid, as she/he had registered more than one year ago. If she/he enrolls for C2 3 months later, she/he will have to pay the registration fees again.

Fees

  • One-year access to AFdB library: Rs. 2490/-
  • One-year access to AFdB library and to Culturethèque (e-library): Rs. 2490/- + Rs. 1000

Registration Procedure

An External Candidate has to register himself/herself as an external member of the library. The registration procedure is as follows:

  1. Contact the librarian: libra[email protected] or visit Alliance française du Bengale.
  2. Fill up the registration form and pay the fees.
  3. You will receive a confirmation email along with your member card in PDF. You must save this card and produce it whenever you will be borrowing or returning a book.
Rules & Regulations

Our digital library Culturethèque

Discover the richness of French culture from the comfort of your home with *Culturethèque*, the digital library of the French cultural network abroad. This exclusive resource is available to students and members of Alliance Française du Bengale. Developed and managed by the French Institute, ‘Culturethèque’ provides access to thousands of documents, including e-books, audiobooks, magazines, newspapers, music, videos, and more—all curated to immerse you in French and Francophone culture.

With Culturethèque, you can:

  • Explore the latest editions of your favourite French magazines and newspapers.
  • Enjoy a wide selection of e-books, audiobooks, and comics.
  • Attend concerts, shows, and lectures that bring French culture to life.
  • Access language-learning materials tailored to your proficiency level.
  • Introduce children to French with kid-friendly cultural resources.

Subscription to Culturethèque is linked to your registration for one of the services at Alliance Française or French Institutes, such as media library access or language courses. This service is exclusive to the network of French Institutes and Alliances and cannot be extended to external stakeholders without a formal partnership agreement.

FAQ

Who can access Culturethèque?

Culturethèque is accessible to anyone who holds a membership with any of the Alliance Française libraries in India. As a member, you can enjoy free access to this digital library.

How do I create an individual account on Culturethèque?

You can register at any Alliance Française library, or you can sign up online at www.culturetheque.com. After registering, provide your enrollment details to the librarian to activate your account.

How long is the Culturethèque account valid?

Your Culturethèque account will remain valid for the duration of your library membership which is 1 year.

What should I do if I encounter issues accessing Culturethèque?

If you experience any problems, report them to your library. The issue will be resolved as soon as possible.

What if I don’t receive a confirmation email after registering on Culturethèque?

First, ensure that you’ve provided your enrolment details to the librarian for validation. Also, check your spam folder to see if the email was filtered there.

If you have any query, get in touch with us:

+91 86 9773 6768 (WhatsApp) / 33 4006 4801 / 33 4006 4802
[email protected]