In parallel with his career as Lieutenant General of Police of Paris, Antoine de Sartine became "maître des requêtes" in December 1759 and "conseiller d'État" in 1767. He was the director of the Library from 1763 to 1774, succeeding his friend Malesherbes. As such, he was not only in charge of managing the Royal Library (now the National Library of France), but he was also the chief censor in the kingdom, responsible for controlling the book trade and the press. Like his friend Malesherbes, he was a liberal and supported the philosophers of The Enlightenment, in particular Diderot and his "Encyclopédie", which he protected against the attacks of the ecclesiastical party.