The American Library in Paris

The American Library in Paris (ALP) was established in 1920, following World War I, to collect wartime books sent to American soldiers in combat and their allies. Embodying its motto, Atrum post bellum, ex libris lux ("After the darkness of war, the light of books"), the library fought to remain uncensored during World War II and even established an underground lending service to Jews, whose access to libraries was revoked under the Nazi regime. Since then — and despite changing locations several times — ALP has maintained a presence in the French capital and remained a hopeful symbol of American and French relations.

The library has been a welcoming site for influential writers in the English literary canon — including American authors who lived in France at one point, such as Mary McCarthy, Samuel Beckett, and Richard Wright. The library, which hosts the in-conversation series Evenings with an Author featuring poets, novelists, professors, and journalists — also attracts a new generation of up-and-coming readers and writers who seek companionship in monthly book groups, inspiration in speeches given by famous literary figures, and recognition through initiatives such as the Young Authors Fiction Festival.