Special Collections

The Dutch universities and the National Library manage extensive heritage collections that are of great importance, both nationally and often also internationally. This heritage includes manuscripts, printed works, maps, archival material, visual material (such as paintings, drawings, prints and photographs) and museum objects. In most libraries, these collections are referred to as the ‘Special Collections’. The UKB Special Collections working group represents various Dutch institutions, both within and outside the UKB consortium, that are responsible for large or smaller heritage collections within the library world.

Mission

The Special Collections working group is responsible for the collaboration between the various departments and sectors of special collections in the library world in the Netherlands. It is committed to sharing knowledge and experience regarding the documentary heritage managed by the affiliated institutions, with regard to acquisition, management, opening up, accessibility, education, research and both physical and digital public presentations. This includes physical collections, digitised heritage and ‘digitally born’ collections. If necessary and/or desired, the working group will stimulate the application of national and international standards and open source software for managing and exchanging digital collections within the field of special collections.

Goals for policy period 2023-2025

The Special Collections working group is the only special collections knowledge platform in the Netherlands. This is why the working group has the ambition to put the needs, concerns and requirements of the special collections on the agenda. We are working to improve the visibility of our collections by applying international standards.

In addition, the working group acts as an intermediary to translate the ambitions of the UKB board to the special collections departments as represented in the network groups and task groups of the affiliated institutions. This includes skills development, the sustainable accessibility and management of the special collections, and the facilitation of a shared knowledge infrastructure.

Concrete collaborations are encouraged, especially in pilot projects in task groups. In order to strengthen such initiatives, the Special Collections working group wishes to actively involve the UKB community manager.

Once a year, a national theme day is organised, on which one or more of the working group’s ambitions are discussed and elaborated on This day also serves as the annual opportunity for all participants to meet each other. In addition, small meetings (such as seminars and round tables) are organised – especially from the circle of the task forces – on specialised sub-topics.
The 2024 theme focuses on digital collections and digitisation policies.

Composition

In the Special Collections working group, all affiliated institutions are represented by one delegate member. The members are responsible for a special collection and are of great importance as sparring partners for the Executive Board. In addition, the members of the working group and various other representatives of the same institutions may be part of the network and task groups. Furthermore, all libraries and other institutions with a special collection that is available for teaching and research as well as for a public function can join and be represented by a delegate in the Special Collections working group as a participant in a network or task force. Kurt De Belder is the liaison between the UKB Special Collections working group and the plenary UKB board.

Executive Board

Marieke Van Meer – Universiteit Leiden – chair
Miriam Wagenaar – National Library of the Netherlands
Stijn van Rossem – Allard Pierson Amsterdam
Johan Oosterman – Radboud University Nijmegen.

Participating members

Michiel Cock – VU Amsterdam
Odin Essers – Maastricht University
Adrie van der Laan – University of Groningen
Bart Jaski – Utrecht University
Roman Koot – Erasmus University Rotterdam
Anneke Groen – Wageningen University and Research
Eefje Roodenburg – Radboud University Nijmegen
Marietje Ruijgrok – TU Delft

Networkgroups

  1. Manuscripts- chair Bart Jaski – Utrecht University
  2. Maps and GIS- chair Reinder Storm – Allard Pierson Amsterdam
  3. Printed works – chair Eefje Roodenburg – Radboud University Nijmegen
  4. Digital Collections – voorzitter Michiel Cock – VU Amsterdam

Task groups

  1. Definition and delineation – Joint chairs: Bart Jaski and Stijn van Rossem – Allard Pierson Amsterdam

  2. Colonial heritage – chair Marieke van Meer– Universitaire Bibliotheken Leiden
  3. Literature collections – chair Bertram Mourits – Literatuurmuseum
  4. CEN – chair Jeroen Vandommele -National Library of the Netherlands
  5. Materiality – chair to be determined

UKB liaison: Kurt de Belder – Universiteit Leiden