The work begins

Monday was the start of my work, the whole point of me being in Paris for five months, and it was spent visiting the Archives Nationales and the Bibliotheque Nationale to apply for reader's cards because they don't just let anyone walk in off the street and look at their stuff. First up was the AN, which was the one I was most worried about since I have heard that the staff is not pleasant and I was concerned that they would look down on my lack of command over their language. Blessedly, the process to get a reader's card was short and sweet and involved very little talking. I handed over my passport and student ID, she took my picture, gave me a card, I paid for it and voila, access to the archives was mine for the taking! At that point, Howard showed up and took Jaime and I on a tour of the reading room, the reference room, and showed us the ropes - where you request material, where and how you pick it up, etc. It was a useful tour and would come in handy the next day when we actually started research. However, instead of sticking around to test it out that day, we decided to head over to the BN and get our cards over there. So, we parted ways with HB and made our way to the metro.

Since the experience at the AN was so easy, we were fooled into believing that it would be just as easy at the BN. We were wrong. First, let me explain where the BN is: NOWHERE. To be fair, the AN is in the Marais neighborhood, an older, very Parisian part of town with tons of shops and cafes and charm. The BN is in an industrial, urban area that reminds me of NYC, including expensive and limited food options. So, that was a let down. Then, after we successfully figured out how to get into the building (it is seriously complicated) we were told that they were closed. Confused on why the National Library would be closed on a Monday morning at 10:30 am, we searched for another entrance, only to find that the place was closed until 2pm. I have no idea why, just another example of French culture - no set rules for anything. As we had already used a metro ticket to get over there and are still without the Navigo card (although we will be able to get a weekly pass on Friday for next week to use until the Navigo comes), we didn't want to burn another ticket to go back to the AN or back to the apartment. So we decided to find a place to eat. Now, as I said, there were few choices and they were all expensive - 12.50 euro for a ham sandwich - so we found a Starbucks that was far cheaper and took up shop there where I finally had a pain au chocolat, kind of like a croissant with chocolate, and tried to pass the time. Needless to say, we were BORED. We made it to 1pm before we lost our minds, so we walked across the street to the Monoprix and wandered around, then went to the metro to buy more tickets, then wandered into a sporting goods store and FINALLY we could go back to the BN. We made it inside without problems, then had to find out where to apply for a card. We found the room where we had to go up to a desk, explain that we wanted a research card, take a number, wait to be called to another person who interviewed us about why we wanted a research card. The man that interviewed me was very nice and spoke enough English for us to get through the interview and for me to get my card. I had a bit of a hard time explaining my name and that McKinney is my last name and Talmadge is my middle name, but that seems to be the same across continents. I don't know why. Anyway, we paid, we left, we got back to the apartment and prepared for our research the next day.

Tuesday began too early and it was rainy, but we made it back to the AN and started the routine that Howard had showed us the day before. However, I ran into a few problems that were hightened by my lack of understanding French. First, I made the mistake (though I didn't realize it at the time) of bringing a French/English dictionary in with me to the salle de lecture. I was told that I needed to register it with the head of the reading room. I did. I still was asked about it two times after that, but I have no idea what they said. Needless to say, the dictionary stayed at home today. Second, every time that you leave the reading room, if you are bringing things out with you, either to the microfilm room or the reference room, they have a guy at the door who goes through all your stuff. Everything. You have to have your computer open and if you make the mistake of bringing a notebook in, they have to go through every page. I guess it is a security precaution so that you don't walk out with priceless documents, but it is a pain. They also check your bags on the way into the building - also a pain since there isn't really a table to put your stuff down on to open a heavy laptop bag. Anyway, I made it out alive and learned what I needed to bring and what I didn't need to bring, and today the experience was much easier.

The research process has been interesting. At first glance, everything seems so well documented. The reference room has shelves and shelves of books that have references for references. However, when you actually see the documents, you realize that in most cases, things were just thrown together without discretion in many cases. Often the same thing will be repeated in the file or there will be a page from a completely different year or a different subject than the one you wanted to look at. I guess it makes my speech on the discipline of history that I give my students every semester is true - there is no big book of history out there where you can just flip to what you want and find everything spelled out neatly for you. I have found that out in two days at the AN. Also, before this trip I never had the pleasure of using microfilm. I used microfiche at Cornell, but the film had eluded me. Until now. Practically EVERYTHING that I want to look at is on microfilm. Rolls and rolls of microfilm. For those who aren't familiar with the joys of microfilm, I envy your ignorance. I wish I didn't know. But I know, I know too well. The only part about dealing constantly with microfilm is that it gets me out of the main reading room, which is good because there seems to be too many employees in that room walking around, waiting to reprimand you for something. The microfilm room is chill. You get your order, you get your machine, and you are left alone. And there is no bouncer at the door checking your stuff when you come and go. I just hope I won't be blind after 5 months of microfilming from 9-4:30 Monday through Friday. I have hopes of breaking up the film viewing as much as possible.

Life during the week is not very exciting thus far. We basically come back here exhausted, fix dinner, and kill time online until it's time to go to sleep to wake up and go back to the AN. Tomorrow we're breaking in the BN, which seems like it's going to be even more oppressive since you have to ask if you want to leave the building for any period of time and you have to scan your card everywhere so that they can keep track of you. And the reading rooms are underground. The upside (or so I have heard) is that the chairs are more comfortable. I'll have to test them out. Even more exciting is that tomorrow is a get-together for US French Historians in Paris, so I'll get to meet some other people who are doing the same thing and SPEAK ENGLISH! Hopefully they aren't lame academic types with no personality. We'll see. Anyway, I miss America as always and DAN!! and hope all is well back home.