Maps with flaps

Berkhey’s time travel map of northern Holland and the Haarlemmermeer (c. 1778): a GIS avant la lettre

Martijn Storms • February 26, 2019

Dutch nationalism and the story of the Portengen manuscript

The 19th-century Portengen manuscript, recently donated to Leiden University Libraries, is a prime example of a text that shows how nationalism stimulated the self-consciousness of middle-class families.

Guest author • January 29, 2019

The first Japanese love letter by Sonogi to Von Siebold now discovered

"Reading your letters, I recall your face and long for the days gone by."

Guest author • December 04, 2018

The elusive Panji pops up in Leiden

Who is Panji, and what exactly is a Panji tale?

Guest author • November 19, 2018

Digitisation Project of Yemeni Manuscripts at Leiden University Libraries

The Yemeni manuscripts of Leiden University Libraries are now being digitised as part of The Zaydi Manuscript Tradition, a project coordinated by Professor Sabine Schmidtke (Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton).

Arnoud Vrolijk • November 15, 2018

Indian Life on Mica

A unique collection of gouache miniature paintings on mica.

Doris Jedamski • November 13, 2018

To steal a book

A unique collection of Chinese underground poetry attracts all kind of visitors...

Guest author • October 04, 2018

Fashion, or a matter of economics?

Expensive materials would produce costly bindings, and cheap ones made books available for smaller budgets. But how can we assess such issues when documentation is lacking? Certain books help us identify the range of options.

Karin Scheper • September 25, 2018

Mundus Inversus in a Chained Library

During the years that Leiden University maintained a chained library (1595-1653) the books were placed on the shelves upside-down. Read here why.

André Bouwman • August 15, 2018

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