The Nights The Books Needed Saving

22min | 04/29/2025

Description

On January 12 2014, the Bibliothèque Nationale de France faced an unprecedented water issue: The pipes broke. Three levels were infiltrated by 25m³ of water. The crisis management unit activated the emergency plan, on a Sunday night, to evacuate 38 000 documents, some dating back to early centuries. We'll travel back to that night — and another nightmarish night of such scale — wading back through the emergency response with Céline Allain, BnF’s emergency plan coordinator.

Our guests:
- Céline Allain, BNF Emergency Plan coordinator since 2013
- Sergent Laurent Da Silva, BNF firefighter
- Maëlle Jeanty, Natural Risks project manager at the CEPRI, the European Centre for the Prevention of Flood Risks
- Jacky Petit, plumber in Paris

This episode is produced by Nancy-Wang Musisá, Piera Rocco, Mihail Ivanov and Lola López Lungo.

The editor in chief is Lorraine Besse.

#upatnight is #ScPodcast based on an original idea by Alice Antheaume.

Music : Théo Boulenger

Illustration : Marine Coutroutsios.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

About What keeps you up at night?

What goes on in the heads of leaders faced with the world's major challenges? What keeps them up at night? How do they fall asleep when they have so much responsibility? How do they get to sleep when there is so much at stake? What gives them insomnia?

International leaders and decision makers are invited into the studios of the Sciences Po School of Journalism. We believe that students will be able to hear their voice and be inspired now and in the future.

The interview is led by students from the Journalism and International Affairs programme at Sciences Po's School of Journalism and PSIA Sciences Po, with the coordination of professional journalists and teachers.

What keeps you up at night? is a podcast based on an original idea by Alice Antheaume.

Production: Louie Média.

Journalists: Marie Naudascher and Marine Séhan.

Music: Théo Boulenger.

Illustration: Marine Coutroutsios.

⭐ Subscribe to our podcast!

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

About What keeps you up at night?

What goes on in the heads of leaders faced with the world's major challenges? What keeps them up at night? How do they fall asleep when they have so much responsibility? How do they get to sleep when there is so much at stake? What gives them insomnia?

International leaders and decision makers are invited into the studios of the Sciences Po School of Journalism. We believe that students will be able to hear their voice and be inspired now and in the future.

The interview is led by students from the Journalism and International Affairs programme at Sciences Po's School of Journalism and PSIA Sciences Po, with the coordination of professional journalists and teachers.

What keeps you up at night? is a podcast based on an original idea by Alice Antheaume.

Production: Louie Média.

Journalists: Marie Naudascher and Marine Séhan.

Music: Théo Boulenger.

Illustration: Marine Coutroutsios.

⭐ Subscribe to our podcast!

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Description

On January 12 2014, the Bibliothèque Nationale de France faced an unprecedented water issue: The pipes broke. Three levels were infiltrated by 25m³ of water. The crisis management unit activated the emergency plan, on a Sunday night, to evacuate 38 000 documents, some dating back to early centuries. We'll travel back to that night — and another nightmarish night of such scale — wading back through the emergency response with Céline Allain, BnF’s emergency plan coordinator.

Our guests:
- Céline Allain, BNF Emergency Plan coordinator since 2013
- Sergent Laurent Da Silva, BNF firefighter
- Maëlle Jeanty, Natural Risks project manager at the CEPRI, the European Centre for the Prevention of Flood Risks
- Jacky Petit, plumber in Paris

This episode is produced by Nancy-Wang Musisá, Piera Rocco, Mihail Ivanov and Lola López Lungo.

The editor in chief is Lorraine Besse.

#upatnight is #ScPodcast based on an original idea by Alice Antheaume.

Music : Théo Boulenger

Illustration : Marine Coutroutsios.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

About What keeps you up at night?

What goes on in the heads of leaders faced with the world's major challenges? What keeps them up at night? How do they fall asleep when they have so much responsibility? How do they get to sleep when there is so much at stake? What gives them insomnia?

International leaders and decision makers are invited into the studios of the Sciences Po School of Journalism. We believe that students will be able to hear their voice and be inspired now and in the future.

The interview is led by students from the Journalism and International Affairs programme at Sciences Po's School of Journalism and PSIA Sciences Po, with the coordination of professional journalists and teachers.

What keeps you up at night? is a podcast based on an original idea by Alice Antheaume.

Production: Louie Média.

Journalists: Marie Naudascher and Marine Séhan.

Music: Théo Boulenger.

Illustration: Marine Coutroutsios.

⭐ Subscribe to our podcast!

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

About What keeps you up at night?

What goes on in the heads of leaders faced with the world's major challenges? What keeps them up at night? How do they fall asleep when they have so much responsibility? How do they get to sleep when there is so much at stake? What gives them insomnia?

International leaders and decision makers are invited into the studios of the Sciences Po School of Journalism. We believe that students will be able to hear their voice and be inspired now and in the future.

The interview is led by students from the Journalism and International Affairs programme at Sciences Po's School of Journalism and PSIA Sciences Po, with the coordination of professional journalists and teachers.

What keeps you up at night? is a podcast based on an original idea by Alice Antheaume.

Production: Louie Média.

Journalists: Marie Naudascher and Marine Séhan.

Music: Théo Boulenger.

Illustration: Marine Coutroutsios.

⭐ Subscribe to our podcast!

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

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