Easy Readers and Short Novels
Abridged and simplified yet retaining some of the feel of the original book, these are a great resource for advanced beginners to intermediates.
A French Library in San Francisco:
"Bienvenue à la Bibliothèque AFSF" !
The library is currently closed due to COVID-19.
Usually, the AFSF library is open to the public:
Monday: 10 am – 4:00 pm
Tuesday-Thursday: 9 am – 6:00 pm
Friday-Saturday: 10 am – 1:00 pm
We have a growing collection of over 300 DVDs and several thousand books, including literary and
popular fiction, mystery novels, plays, poetry and works in translation, as well as an "espace jeunesse"
with hundreds of titles available for kids.
You can preview our AFSF catalog online :
AFSF members and students may borrow up
to 3 books, 3 CDs and 3 DVDs for 3 weeks.
Borrowing privileges for members only :
IMPROVE YOUR FRENCH BY READING
AFSF BIBLIOTHÈQUE tips and tools
If you want to improve your french language skills, reading can help! But choosing the right book is essential. Check out some of our new
collection categories online and on the library shelves. Bonne lecture!
Graphic novels
Graphic novels are helpful with visual clues on what is happening. The word association in these makes them ideal for intermediate to advanced learners.
Books you already know and love
Familiarity with the original story will allow you to focus on reading in the French language. Your brain will be free to soak in the new vocabulary and grammar.
French authored Page Turners
Try best-selling French authors, Marc Levy and Guillaume Musso, writers of thrillers with elements of fantasy and engaging plots. You will get so involved in the story that you’ll forget to stop and look up every word.
Espace Jeunesse
We have two inviting spaces for your children to explore the AFSF french library. Visit the Salle des enfants best suited for younger children or head into the main library to the Young Readers corner for your older children and young teens.
Early Childhood
The Salle des Enfants, located on the second floor, is home to our collection of early childhood picture books and DVD. Styled in an inviting layout for the youngest children to explore and easily find titles that will engage and captivate young minds. If a camp is in session please be respectful of the activities and instructors direction for library use during class time.
Young Readers
The Young Readers corner, located in the main library, contains many popular french series perfectly suited for early readers. There is also a wide selection of Bandes Dessinées which provide visual cues and lots of entertainment while your young readers explore reading in the french language.
DVDs
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Watching films is a great way to improve your french. Many DVDs in our collection have subtitles in french so you can hear the spoken word and understand the intended french dialogue simultaneously. Be careful not to jump straight to the english subtitles to avoid reading in english and losing the benefit of understanding the spoken french. You could start with films that you may have already seen in english so the plot will be familiar letting you focus on the spoken french.
Culturethèque - Votre Bibliothèque numérique
READ: Read French classics, discover the latest literary sensation, access the most up-to-date French
newspaper and magazines, share animated children books with your little ones.
LISTEN: Listen to classical music, jazz, pop, French songs and world music, learn about new artists in
interviews.
WATCH: Watch live news programs, download fun science shows, discover wonderful artists through their video-concerts.
LEARN: Culturethèque offers wide and comprehensive resources for our French students, according to their level, to help them in the learning process.
Culturethèque is an e-library with thousands of e-books, audio books, videos, newspapers, magazines, movies, music and other useful online resources for learning French and improving your pronunciation! AFSF Members get a free access to Culturetheque.
How to create a new account?
- Visit the Culturethèque website (button below)
- Click on “Cliquez ici pour vous inscrire”
-
Create your login - Please use your the first letter of your first name and your last name with no spaces as your user name. (IE: jsmith)
- Choose Alliance Française de San Francisco as your library .
- Once you have created your account on Culturethèque, your access is limited to 48h. Please contact AFSF at afsf@afsf.com to extend your free access to one year.
- Let us know if you encounter any issue.
Do you have any books you'd like to donate?
Our library accepts donations, in French only, for:
- books for kids and teenagers,
- recent books (less than 5 years) for adults. Unfortunately, we are not able to accept older books anymore.
- DVDs
We are also looking for French language board games and other educational games.
Resources
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