This paper discusses cooperation between hospital and public libraries in France. The first section provides an overview of hospital libraries, including historical and regulatory background, as well as the current situation. The second section considers the network of public libraries, including increasing awareness of the duty to provide all citizens with access to information and value of relying on public services in developing cultural activities. The third section describes services that hospital and public libraries might offer cooperatively, including loan of documents, visits to the hospital by the library-bus, home delivery, patient visits to the municipal library, and training of volunteers. This section also presents three examples of partnership in La Rochelle, Nimes, and Nanterre/Garches. (MES)