Introduction to Leiden University Libraries

Discover the world at Leiden University
UBL: Partner in Knowledge
Kurt De Belder
University Librarian
Director Leiden University Libraries & Leiden University Press

LEIDEN UNIVERSITY
Some facts & figures (2012/2013)

 Founded in 1575 by Prince William of
Orange.
 Praesidium Libertatis (‚bastion of
freedom‛).
 Oldest university in the Netherlands.
 Two locations: Leiden & The Hague.
 Broad research intensive university
(Archeology, Humanities, Law,
Medicine, Sciences, Social & Behavioral
Sciences, Campus The Hague).
 Consistently belongs to top 20 European
universities (Ranking worldwide: 74
[ARWU 2013]; 75 [QS World UR 2012];
64 [THES 2012]).
 Founding member of League of
European Research Universities (Universiteit van
Amsterdam, Universitat de Barcelona, University of Cambridge, University of Edinburgh,
Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Université de Genève, Universität Heidelberg,
Helsingin yliopisto (University of Helsinki), Universiteit Leiden, KU Leuven, Imperial
College London, University College London, Lunds universitet, Università degli Studi di
Milano, Ludwig-Maximilans-Universität München, University of Oxford, Université
Pierre et Marie Curie, Université Paris-Sud 11, Université de Strasbourg, Universiteit
Utrecht, Universität Zürich)

 Budget: € 514 mln.
 Students: 20.684
 PhD promotions: 383
 Staff: 3.256 FTE (excl. Faculty of Medicine &
Leiden University Medical Centre)
 50 BA and 250 MA programmes
 Scholary publications: 5.350

LEIDEN UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES
Since 1575

Its significance for European culture cannot be
overestimated: it is a part of a small number of
cultural centres that gave direction to the
development and spread of knowledge during the
Enlightenment. The importance of these centres lies
in the simultaneous presence of a unique collection
of exceptional sources and scholars.
Christiane Berkvens-Stevelinck: Magna Commoditas, 2001

An essential benchmark [...] not only for the teeming collection of
extraordinary materials it has scrupulously gathered and
maintained over a sustained period of time, but most of all for being
the world's first scholarly library in a truly modern sense. The litany
of 'firsts' recorded at Leiden is dazzling - the first printed catalogue
to be prepared by an institution of its holdings, the first attempt to
identify and maintain what today are known as 'special collections,'
the first systematic attempt to develop a corps of influential friends,
patrons, and benefactors throughout the world, the first 'universal'
library, the list goes on and on - and underpinning it all is a
humanistic approach to education and discovery that has figured
prominently throughout its history, along with an unbending belief
in the limitless potential of human inquiry.
Nicholas A. Basbanes

East Asian Library
Law Library
Library Learning Centre Campus The Hague
Science Libraries
Social and Behavioural Sciences Library
University Library
A modern research library supporting research & teaching

A recent history

 1st strategic plan For Research & Education 2006-2010.
 2006: reorganisation of the University Library (UB).
 2009: University Library and all institute and faculty libraries
under one leadership.
 2010: reorganisation to create one organisation: Leiden
University Libraries (UBL).
 2011: new strategic Plan: Partner in Knowledge 2011-2015

Some figures(2012)

2012 2011
6 library locations 5
8 new Virtual Research Environments 4
17 int. guest researchers, Brill & Elsevier fellows 20
94 opening hours per week (UB location) 94
112,4 library staff (fte) 118,9
358 courses taught 289
500+ databases 500+
848 subscribers receiving 18 Snapshots 750
1.052 new publications in Leiden Repository 1.490
1.400 study spaces incl. 336 with computer in 2012 1.400
2.006 visitors for 4 in-house exhibits 5.736
5.932 course participants 3.945
16.000+ opening hours (all UBL locations) 16.000+
21.000 printed book acquisitions 19.748
40.500+ e-journals 39.000+

2012 2011
61.899 questions answered (desks, phone, online) 65.158
91.649 use of (parts of) e-books 61.841
212.684 loans 237.857
375.315 unique visitors website 340.510
1.045.000+ e-books 1.000.000+
1.400.000+ downloads in Leiden Repository 930.000
2.600.000+ articles used in e-journals 2.500.000+
4.200.000+ books 4.200.000+
4.364.000+ searches in the catalogue 2.344.500+

Strategic Plan – Partner in Knowledge
Goals
Focus areas

Leiden University Libraries – Strategic plan 2011-2015: Partner in Knowledge
http://media.leidenuniv.nl/legacy/meerjarenbeleidsplan-ubl-2011-2015.pdf
http://media.leidenuniv.nl/legacy/meerjarenbeleidsplan-ubl-2011-2015.pdf

 UBL is a knowledge junction of Leiden University, where information is
produced, curated, used and shared – in situ as well as virtually.
 The UBL collections should serve as raw material for research and teaching
at Leiden University.
 The embedded library: students and researchers should have extensive
access to the UBL collections and services – however, wherever, whenever.
 Innovation: UBL has an innovative attitude so that it can prepare itself and
its users to new developments and possibilities within its purview.
 Knowledge organisation: UBL offers a sparkling and stimulating work
environment in the challenging world of scholarly information, in
combination with a pleasant atmosphere and excellent secondary benefits.

 Library as expert centre in digital information for research &
education.
 Partner in research & education.
 Library Learning Centre.
 Digital information skills.
 Deployment of Special Collections in research & education.
 Societal role: visibility of Special Collections & Podium 071.
 Fundraising.
 Collaboration.

 New areas of expertise in research support:
o Research registration (production)
o Virtual Research Environments (production)
o Data management & curation (pilots)
o Data Management Office (production)
o Text & data mining (exploring project)
o Copyright Office (production)
o GIS (exploring project)
o Publication support (exploring project)
o IPR & patent information (exploring project)
 New initiatives in research dissemination:
o Leiden University Press (production)
(www.lup.nl)
o Founding partner in OAPEN (production)
(www.oapen.org)
o Partner in Knowledge Unlatched (pilot)
(www.knowledgeunlatched.org)

 New developments in teaching support
o VRE’s for education (pilots)
o Thesis repository (BA/MA) (production)
o Digital info skills in curriculum (production)
o Support for OpenCourseWare (pilots)
o Support for MOOCS (pilots)
o Library Learning Centres (space) (production)
 Digital has preference (4/5 of the information budget is
allocated to digital materials).
 We want to do more with our collections than just make them
available for human reading (grondstof).

 Important for Leiden University Libraries:
o One organisation in 2010
o Strategic plan developed with library staff
o Changes in function profiles (e.g. subject specialists)
o Within appointments time explicitly allocated for
development of new expertise
o Focus on working in projects
o Sufficient funding for staff training and development

 Approach
o Increased emphasis on expertise approach instead of
subject approach.
o Balance between own expertise and mediation.
o Collaboration is central: with faculty & researchers,
research groups, teaching & research units, academic
affairs, computing centre, CWTS and external partners
such as SURF, national data archives (DANS &
3TU.Datacentre), Microsoft Research.
o Bottom up but accompanied by strategic discussion at
leadership level of university.

Research life cycle
Leo Waaijers: The DARE Chronicle: Open Access to Research Results and Teaching Material in the Netherlands, Ariadne, 53,
October 30, 2007. http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue53/waaijers
CollaborationwithLURIS
CollaborationwithCWTS
Publicationadvice
FoundingmemberOAPEN
Publicationpagesoffaculty
Harvestingofrepository
Collaborationw.nationaldataarchives
Collaborationwithe-Depot
FacultyDigitalArchives
DigitalAuthorIdentifiers(DAI)
CurrentResearchInformationSystem
LeidenUniversityPress
InstitutionalRepository
CopyrightOffice
DataInformationOffice
DataLabs
VirtualResearchEnvironments

Research life cycle
Collaboration with LURIS
Collaboration with CWTS
Publication advice
Founding member OAPEN
Publication pages of faculty
Harvesting of repository
Collaboration w. national data archives
Collaboration with e-Depot
Faculty Digital Archives
Digital Author Identifiers (DAI)
Current Research Information System
Leiden University Press
Institutional Repository
Copyright Office
Data Information Office
DataLabs
Virtual Research Environments

PARTNER IN KNOWLEDGE
Importance of physical space

Ambitious programme started in 2007
University Library
 WiFi throughout the building (December 2007)
 Opening Special Collection Reading Room Dousa (March 2008)
 Fire extinguishing systems installed and in use in the closed
stacks and the special collections vaults (July 2008)
 Information Centre Huygens opened (December 2008)
 Conference and lecture rooms refurbished (2009)
 Library entrance and café (December 2009)
 Exhibition space (March 2010)
 Study Area 1st floor, reference library special collections 2nd
floor (2012-2013)
 Media room ground floor (September 2013)
 Asian Library as additional floor (2015)

Science Libraries
 Refurbishment Gorlaeus Library (2009)
 Refurbishment Snellius Bibliotheek (2012)
East Asian Library
 Integration of the Libraries for Chinese, Japanese & Korean
(2010)
Campus Den Haag
 Library Learning Centre opened (3 september 2012)

Virtual Research Environments & DataLabs

Tales of the Revolt, prof. dr. Judith Pollmann, FGW
Enemies of the State, prof. dr. Beatrice de Graaf, CDH
Splitting and Clustering Grammatical Information, prof. dr. Roberta
d’Alessandro, FGW
Jus Post Bellum, prof. Dr. Carsten Stahn, FdR
Bridging the Unbridgeable, prof. dr. Ingrid Tieken, FGW
Connecting in Times of Duress, prof. dr. Mirjam de Bruijn, FSW
Beyond Agenda Setting, dr. Peter van Aelst, FSW
Montesquieu Institute, dr. Arco Timmermans, FdR
Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence, FSW
Photographic Conservation, prof. dr. Kitty Zijlmans, FGW
Noradrenergic control of human cognition, dr. Sander Nieuwenhuis,
FSW
Protagoras Sources, dr. Marlein van Raalte, FGW

Infrastructure in the cloud

SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

 Largest holdings of Dutch medieval manuscripts
 Internationally renowned Near and Far Eastern
collections of manuscripts and books
 Major holdings in early western printed books
 Oldest and most complete photograph collection in
the Netherlands
 Print room: substantial holdings of prints, drawings
and portraits
 The complete University Archives
 Extensive private archives (authors, scholars, societies
and organizations)
 Extensive maps and atlases collection

SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
SCALIGER INSTITUTE
Research & teaching

Connect researchers with our
special collections
Close collaboration between
University Libraries and
faculties
Scaliger professor
Scaliger, Brill, Elsevier & Van
de Sande fellowships: > 187
scholars from > 25 countries
in the past 13 years
Symposia, lectures, research
projects, winter school,
publications, exhibits

SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
FACILITIES & SERVICES
Reading Room Special Collections Dousa

LEIDEN UNIVERSTY LIBRARIES
SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
Making collections accessible
Extensive cataloging efforts (often with external funding)
Use of new techniques and international standards
(Mass) digitization
Digitization on demand

SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
Geïntegreerd in onderzoek en onderwijs
Seminars
Clusius Research Project

SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
Caretaker of human memory
Specialized conservation department
UNESCO Memory of the World
Safe environment

SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
Societal Outreach
Events, lectures, symposia
In house exhibitions
Collaboration with major museums

VOICES FROM THE PRESS

City of Books. Seven Centuries of Reading in Leiden.
Museum De Lakenhal, Leiden.
22/02/2008 – 01/06/2008

‚Leiden book history; ‘City of Books’ is a gem‛
NRC Next, 25 April 2008
‚We knew Leiden was a city of refugees, of
museums and of discoveries. But today one more
aspect has been added: Leiden - city of books.
[…] scores of exquisitely illustrated books and
unique writings.‛
Leidsch Dagblad, 21 February 2008

Toward the Golden Age - Hendrick Goltzius & Jacob de
Gheyn II
Limburgs Museum, Venlo
28/11/2009 – 28/02/2010

‚Not large, but great‛
Dagblad De Limbuger, 1 December 2009
‚Goltzius made virtuoso and flawless engravings‛
NRC Handelsblad, 7 December 2009

Photography! A special collection at
Leiden University
The Hague Museum of Photography
23/01/2010 – 18/04/2010

‚It’s all about these surprises.‛
De Volkskrant, 29 January 2010
‚It is for the very first time that the photograph
collection of Leiden University Library is
exhibited on such a grand scale. […]
Internationally the fame of the Leiden collection
is tremendous.‛
NRC Handelsblad, 23 January 2010

‚The treasure trove of Leiden. Leiden University
manages a world class photograph collection.‛
Focus 97, February 2010
‚Paean to the spirit of the age in 170
photographs.‛
Het Parool, 25 January 2010

In Atmosferic Light. Picturalism in
Dutch Photography 1890-1925
Museum Het Rembrandthuis, Amsterdam
01/04/2010 – 20/06/2010

‚The treasures of Leiden were never before
revealed on such a large scale. […] In short, a
feast of recognition.‛
Trouw, 23 April 2010
‚There are many mysteries in the exhibition […]
many ‘double entendres’, many things that are
different from what they appear to be.‛
Vrij Nederland, 15 May 2010

Erwin Olaf: Relief of Leiden
Museum De Lakenhal, Leiden & Leiden University
Library
29/09/2011 – 08/01/2012

‚An image that can compete with history
paintings with regard to dynamics, composition,
tempered light and reduced colours.‛
Trouw, 29 September 2011
‚Olaf’s interpretation of the Siege is harder,
darker, probably more realistic, than those in the
traditional idealized history paintings. With his
images of plague doctors, he shows that the
plague – according to the latest research from
Leiden University – led to more deaths than
hunger.‛
NRC Handelsblad, 28 September 2011

Sweet & Salt: Water and the Dutch
Kunsthal Rotterdam
14/02/2012 – 10/06/2012

Turcksche boucken. The Oriental
Collection of Levinus Warner,
Dutch diplomat in Istanbul
Museum Meermanno
15/12/2012 – 03/03/2013

World Treasures! From Cicero to
Erwin Olaf. Discover the Special
Collections of Leiden University.
Museum De Lakenhal, Leiden
09/03/2013 – 30/06/2013

COLLABORATION & PARTNERSHIPS
Memberships
NVB, Nederlandse Vereniging voor Beroepsbeoefenaren in de bibliotheek-,
informatie- en kennissector
UKB, samenwerkingsverband Nederlandse universiteitsbibliotheken en KB
FOBID, Federatie van Organisaties in het Bibliotheek-, Informatie- en
Documentatiewezen
LIBER, Association of European Research Libraries
IFLA, International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions
OCLC, Research Library Partnership

More information:
http://library.leiden.edu
k.f.k.de.belder@library.leidenuniv.nl
http://www.linkedin.com/in/kurtdebelder
@KurtDeBelder

Introduction to Leiden University Libraries

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