The library provides access to a large collection of e-books. Below you can find answers to the most relevant questions on how to find and successfully access these e-books.

All Leiden University Libraries' locations are accessible to people with disabilities or health impairments. Our staff will be happy to assist all visitors requiring specific assistance navigating the library buildings or services.

Workshop

Do you need help with writing your thesis or do you have a question about using the library? Take a look at the sources below.

Welcome to Leiden University Libraries (UBL).

Book reviews give you a quick overview of the main arguments, quality and structure of a book.

Study support

Knowing where scientific information can be found and how to use it is of great importance for getting through university. In collaboration with teachers, UBL guides students in information literacy skills: from assessing information to searching in the Special Collections and citation management.

Leiden University Libraries (UBL) owns over 5 million paper materials. Loanable items can be picked up and returned at the UBL library location of your choice.

The Walaeus Library is Leiden University Libraries' medical library. The library is located on the first floor of the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC).

Are you a researcher looking to intensively use our library collections? Book one of our dedicated workplaces.

The collections of drawings consists of around 12,000 drawings of mostly Dutch origin, dating from 1500 until now. The collections is the result of some major purchases, such as the collections of Albertus Welcker (1957) and Adolphus Staring (1969). Almost every Dutch artist is represented with a single…

Visiting address Postal address Gorlaeus Building Einsteinweg 55 2333 CC Leiden +31 71 527 43 66 / 43 67 Science Library P.O. Box 9502 2300 RA Leiden

Geographic information systems (GIS) are computer-based systems for editing and displaying spatial data. GIS tools allow users to create interactive queries, analyze spatial relationships, patterns or trends and visualize the output of all these efforts.

The collection of prints was started through a donation from the aristocrat Jean Theodore Royer, who bequeathed some 20,000 prints to the university in 1815. The collection has expanded through further donations and some major purchases. The nucleus consists of Dutch graphic art from 1500 until now.…

The libraries offer several group study rooms, for use by Leiden University students. Rooms need to be reserved in advance, using the university's study places booking system.

Addresses, contact information and opening hours for all Leiden University Libraries (UBL) library locations.

Overview of reference works, journals and website for research in Politics and International Relations of Japan

The domain of the post-medieval manuscripts and private archives covers the period from about 1550 to the present. A clear distinction with the medieval manuscripts, however, is difficult to make. There are many undated manuscripts and it is often difficult to date them even within a decade or a quarter…

Leiden is a knowledge hub, unique in its kind in the Netherlands, for academics, professionals, students and all other people who are specialized or interested in photography. The city and university offer:

Do you have books, manuscripts, and other materials and are considering donating them to UBL? If so, please get in touch with us.

Visiting address Postal address Pieter de la Court Building Wassenaarseweg 52 2333 AK Leiden Tel: +31 71 527 39 75 Social and Behavioural Sciences Library P.O. Box 9555 2300 RB Leiden

The African Library is located on the ground floor of the new Herta Mohr Building at Witte Singel.

Webinar

Webinar

Webinar

Lecture

Lecture

We have inspiring study places at all our locations. Some 2300 in total. Whether you want to work alone or in a group or need a computer, you will find the perfect spot in the library. Some study places have to be booked first.

The Asian Library holds the largest collection on Indonesia worldwide, and some of the foremost collections on South and Southeast Asia, China, Japan and Korea.

In the course of over four centuries the book collections have been greatly enlarged thanks to the bequests and grants or the purchases from the propriety of scholars or private collectors. Sometimes it concerned collections with thousands of early printed books, such as the purchase of the library…

If an item is not available at Leiden University Libraries (UBL), you can try and obtain it directly from another library, request it using ILL services, or suggest items for purchase.

Leiden University Libraries' favourite tools to facilitate your online work and research.

Subject librarians and Medical Information specialists employ general criteria when evaluating titles to be added or removed from the collections, some criteria having greater or lesser importance depending on subject area.

Who can pitch a book so well that everyone wants to read it? These are the winners of the 2025 Alternative Reading List Awards.

Library staff will select, acquire, catalogue and manage materials to support teaching, learning and research at Leiden University. We aim to have all required study literature available online or in print at the beginning of the semester. Do you think that some titles are missing? Contact your…

The special collections from Japan and Korea are located at the central library building at Witte Singel, where it forms a part of the Asian Library.

From July 2025 to March 2026, various major renovations will take place in the University Library. Both the transparent domes, the skylight between both halls and the installations for air treatment and heating will be replaced. This will allow the University Library to be cooled and heated more sustainably…

Systematically collecting, organising and citing your literature can be an overwhelming and time consuming process. A reference manager, like EndNote, Mendeley or Zotero, can help you with that.

Visiting address Postal address Witte Singel 27 2311 BG Leiden 071 - 5272814 (General) 071 - 5272857 (Special Collections) Postbus 9501 2300 RA Leiden Courier services Witte Singel 27 2311 BG Leiden Goods deliveries Maliebaan 30 2311 CC Leiden

Open Educational Resources (OER) are freely accessible and reusable educational materials in various formats. OER can be very valuable for teachers and students alike. On this page, we will discuss exactly what OER are, their advantages and disadvantages, whether certain restrictions may apply, and…

A systematic review answers a central question by summarising (all) relevant studies.

Library exhibitions, both online and physical, give an idea of the breadth of our collections.

There are several excellent options for teachers and researchers to engage students and other audiences with primary sources. Either by requesting items from the Special Collections for use during lectures or by integrating our educational resources into your lesson plans.

Explanation and background of Dutch copyright

This subject guide is a work in progress, aimed to provide access to relevant academic works and online resources on Palestine and Israel, as well as, documentaries, films, and literature to familiarize yourself with the complexities of the conflict.

We are living in turbulent times. Various conflicts in other parts of the world at times give rise to feelings of anxiety, unrest and anger in our country too. We also see this happening in our academic community.

Leiden University Libraries hosts materials in hundreds of different languages, including many languages that are written in non-Latin scripts.