Ask-a-Librarian: Special Collections

A valid library membership with a personal LU-Card allows you access to the building and use of the various library facilities provided by the Leiden University Libraries (UBL).

A LU-Card can be obtained at the LU-Card helpdesk at the reception for a fee of € 40,- per year. A week pass can be purchased for a fee of € 12,50. Please bring personal identification (passport, ID-card or Dutch driver’s license) and proof of your current residential address. Some visitors are granted a free membership.

Together with the LU-Card you receive a ULCN-account. With this ULCN-account you can request material in the Catalogue.

To enable you to start working immediately upon arrival in the reading room, you can request a limited amount of material from the Special Collections before visiting the library without having a ULCN-account. You can submit a request for five items at the most via the online form Request uncatalogued material (see the homepage of the Catalogue). Then get a LU-Card and a ULCN-account before you come to the Special Collections Reading Room. With these you can enter the library and request more material.

You can order digital reproductions of special collections materials through the Digitisation Request Form

In principle you may take a few photographs of the materials in the special collections, but you always need staff permission. You have to take the photographs in the reading room. You can not use flash, a tripod or scanner.