Magna commoditas : Leiden University's great asset : 425 years library collections and services

The origins of the Leiden University Library date to 1575, when William of Orange donated the first book to its collection. Since opening its first reading room in 1587, the library has been a great asset to the university community, and since the Enlightenment it has helped direct the development and dissemination of knowledge. Now, as the library enters the digital age, Christiane Berkvens-Stevelinck brings to vibrant life the interactions between generations of librarians and thousands of library visitors over the centuries, from readers of chained books to current users of web services.

• Foreword
• Introduction
• 1 A Library Born of the Dutch Revolt, 1575-1607
• The choice of Maartje van del Heuvel - Curator of Photographs
• 2 An Oasis of Sources, 1607-1655
• The choice of André Bouwman - Curator of Western Manuscripts
• The choice of Arend Pietersma - Curator of the Archives
• 3 Between Humanism and the Enlightenment, 1655-1701
• The choice of Jef Schaeps - Curator of Prints and Drawings
• 4 The Cosmopolitanism of a Provincial Town, 1701-1799
• The choice of Arnoud Vrolijk - Curator of Oriental Manuscripts and Rare Books
• The choice of Marie-Odette Scalliet - Curator of South and Southeast Asian Manuscripts and Rare Books
• The choice of Koos Kuiper - Curator of Chinese and Japanese Manuscripts and Rare Books
• 5 The Awakening of a New National Awareness, 1798-1896
• The choice of Martijn Storms - Curator of Maps and Atlases
• 6 From Two World Wars to Cyberspace: 1900-2000
• The choice of Anton van der Lem - Curator of Rare Books
• 7 New Roles in a New Millenium, 2000-2012
• Users of the Library
• Notes
• Bibliography
• Illustration Credits
• Index