The Manufacture media library, culture for all

From tobacco works to media library

The place alone tells part of Nancy's industrial history. The media library occupies the former tobacco factory, a vast built complex where tobacco was once processed. Rehabilitated, the site swapped its machines for shelving and screens, while keeping the generous volumes and light typical of such architecture. The high ceilings and regular grid of windows now provide a bright, soothing setting. During events such as European Heritage Days, guided visits let people rediscover this working-class memory that the conversion has preserved.

Something for every audience

The media library offers very varied collections: novels, non-fiction, comics and magazines, but also recorded music, films, video games, e-readers and tablets. Resources devoted to employment and training round out the offer. People come as much to borrow as to read on site, revise, listen or play. The collections are designed for all ages and tastes, from toddler to researcher, from the curious to the passionate. This diversity makes the Manufacture a true place of life, where books rub shoulders, without hierarchy, with image, sound and the digital.

Musiclab, vidéolab and workspaces

Beyond its collections, the Manufacture offers spaces that invite creation. The musiclab supports amateur musical practice, while the vidéolab provides audiovisual capture and experimentation equipment, up to professional-quality recording gear. There are also collaborative and digital workspaces, internet-connected stations, an area adapted for people with disabilities, relaxation zones and a space dedicated to video games. The venue is accessible to people with reduced mobility. Far more than a mere book depository, the media library sees itself as an open workshop where you consume, but also produce.

A place of life and encounters

The programming keeps the place alive all year round: storytelling sessions, concerts, workshops, talks and festive events such as the Night of Reading in January. Here you meet students, families, retirees and passing browsers, in a friendly, unpretentious atmosphere. Since 2024, registration is free for all Nancy residents, as is access to the network's digital platform, which extends the offer to your home. Open Tuesday to Sunday, the media library has become a landmark of daily life, halfway between a cultural facility and a neighbourhood social hub.

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