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The paper discusses hypotheses why women librarians are particularly resistant to and critical of new forms of culture and learning that young visitors of libraries find attractive. Based on several enquiries, the author concludes that libraries in France remain a feminine world which tends to be closed to intermixing sexual, ethnic and social barriers. She describes women's reaction to young people - qualified as 'non-readers', 'visitors', or 'tourists' - who prefer libraries with coffee shops, DVD rentals and internet services. Male teenagers legitimately find traditional libraries gloomy, and female librarians are particularly critical about their behaviour and preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on a conference about the role of symbols and the imaginary in legitimizing political order, which was held in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, on October 21-22, 2011. The papers presented addressed such topics as the representation of absolutism in the fables of French poet Jean de La Fontaine, the illustration of critical moments of the French Revolution by French classicist painter Jacques-Louis David, and the epistemological writings of Dutch philosopher Benedict de Spinoza.

The article offers information on a transnational conference that focused on the military history of the national defense departments and armed forces of nation-states such as France and Germany from the 19th to the 20th century. It took place in Paris, France on June 20, 2011. Papers presented at the conference discussed topics including the army constitutions of nation-states, the management of colonial military troops, and the development of the French and German national armies.

The article offers information on the "Historical Climatology" conference that took place at the German Historical Institute in Paris, France from September 5-6, 2011. Papers presented at the conference discussed topics such as how historians can contribute to finding a solution to climate change, how climate change affected animals in England and Wales during the 14th century, and how certain types of documentary data can aid in the reconstruction of European climates.

The paper deals with the application of the French Penal Code of 1810 by the French courts. The Code provided for the establishment in each department of a Court of Assizes (Courd'assises) to replace the Court of Criminal Justice (Cour de justice criminelle) , which itself succeeded the Criminal Court of the Revolution, and also greatly reformed investigation and prosecution. It is widely seen as significantly more severe than the Code of 1791, interested in preserving the interests and the authority of the state, but an analysis of the way in which it was used by the courts, here notably the Assize Court of Vienne, shows that the courts managed to show a more measured approach to prosecution and sentencing of concrete cases while remaining true to the spirit of the 1810 Penal Code. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the history of the Bibliographie Nationale Française (BNF), the French National Library, from its foundation in 1811 under Napoleon, its expansion to other subjects beside bibliography after the World War II, and to its modern online databases. The library is the oldest national bibliography in the world. Other topics mentioned are new cooperation with other libraries, the use of microfiche to reduce paper costs, and the goal to preserve books as cultural heritage.

The article offers information on "Nationes, Gentes und die Musik im Mittelalter," a conference that focused on music and social life during the Middle Ages in Europe. It took place in Gießen, Germany from September 8-11, 2011. Papers presented at the conference discussed topics such as historiography in the Alpine region in Europe during the Middle Ages, identities and societies in the Frankish Empire, and the different regional musical notations in Europe during the Middle Ages.