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Recent developments taking place in the French museum libraries hint at a shift in their administrative status and functions. Aim of this paper is to assess whether this phenomenon can be verified both at a national and international level. Today, it is more widely recognised that libraries cost money and require well trained staff so as spacious premises, factors which may or may not be taken into account in any preliminary financial or architectural programming. Refurbishment as well as new museum projects provide an excellent basis when it comes to analysing the physical or symbolic "donations" made to libraries in recent years. By examining some of the most recent realisations, we will try to evaluate how a change of image, working conditions and even location may be the result of architectural and interior space design work, in an attempt to marry the wishes of the museum authorities with the needs expressed by the librarians themselves. On one hand, increasing emphasis is put on libraries and documentation departments in the various services offered by museums to researchers, educators as well as to a broader public, contributing directly to their influence and communication policy particularly on the Internet. The fact that more and more libraries keep their records in computer enables them to provide shared or "virtual" catalogues as well as access to local or national networks whether specialised or not. On the other hand, museums may decide to "outsource" their libraries, thereby reducing activity and budget to a minimum or even doing away with them completely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]