The Annecy Library, set up in 1748, is considered to be the oldest public library in Savoy. The first collections of books that it received were donated by two local dignitaries, Canon Dumax and Judge Symond. After moving several times, it was finally installed in the new Annecy Town Hall in 1854. Starting from 1960, it changed and developed, thanks to the Town Council’s dynamism. A network of local libraries was set up in each part of the town, and the central library was moved to the Centre Bonlieu in 1981. This building, which was designed by the architects Maurice Novarina and Jacques Lévy, houses the theatre (Bonlieu Scène Nationale), the Tourist Office and various shops, offices and services in addition to the library. It is on a magnificent site, right in the centre of the town, with a splendid panoramic view of the lake and the mountains.

The original collection of books (including those from the 19th century) comprises about 25000 volumes. The Savoy stock (12000 documents) includes documents relating to the ‘province’ of Savoy, and covers a wide range of subjects. It includes some old collections – including the Saint François de Sales collection – and some recent ones.

The heritage collections also include a collection of artists’ and contemporary collectors’ books (280 documents), and a collection of books for young people (4000 volumes).

The library is in fact a network composed of the central library in the Centre Bonlieu and three local libraries. The Bonlieu central unit is a multimedia library offering printed documents, audio discs, films, music scores, language courses, CD-ROMs, together with a substantial art library (2000 works). It also offers books for the young in the ‘petite galerie’. The library collections cover an extremely wide range of subjects, with two specializations: contemporary French literature and contemporary art. 250000 documents are directly accessible within the library network. 16000 new documents are purchased every year. All the documents can be consulted on the premises. They can all be borrowed as well, except for books on the open shelves, certain periodicals and the heritage documents.

The computer network for the Annecy libraries – know as the Cabri network – also includes the specialized libraries belonging to the Annecy National Regional Conservatoire, the Art School, the Museum, together with the Meythet municipal library.