The Special Collections of Leiden University Libraries contain a world-renowned and vast collection of old prints, manuscripts, archives, prints, drawings and photography. Our collections are accessible to Leiden researchers and students, as well as external researchers and other interested parties.

In this FAQ we try to answer a selection of the most important questions on research data management that we compiled over the last 5 years.

A (digital) course reserve shelf offers the possibility to set library materials for a designated period aside.

The Leiden University Libraries (UBL) catalogue contains millions of (e-)books, (e-)journals, manuscripts, letters, and other materials available at the UBL.

Visiting address Postal address Turfmarkt 99 2511 DP Den Haag +31 70 8009305 +31 71 5278705 Wijnhaven Library Postbus 13228 2501 EE Den Haag

We hope library users are happy using Leiden University Libraries' services. If this is not the case, please let us know. We love to receive suggestions, comments and ideas on how we can improve services, and try to learn from complaints. Choose one of the following options to submit your feedback:…

Welcome to Leiden University Libraries!

Persistent identifiers, such as the DOI, enable (online) references to work even when the location of the referenced object changes. The Digital Object Identifier (DOI) is used for objects like publications and data. Using a DOI makes it easy to cite and reference persistently.

The Netherlands Code of Conduct for Research Integrity defines plagiarism as ‘the use of another person’s ideas, work methods, results or texts without appropriate acknowledgement’. The definition at Oxford University is somewhat more extensive: ‘Plagiarism is presenting someone else’s work or ideas…

Scanners, copiers and printers are available at all of our library locations.

Most questions we receive about Open Access concern funding.

As of 2017 the Vera Gottschalk-Frank Foundation has invoked an Arminius Fellowship at the Scaliger Institute. The Foundation supports the promotion of research into all holdings relating to the Remonstrants in the Special Collections of Leiden University Libraries.

The G.W.J. Drewes Fund was invoked to celebrate the transfer of the scholarly legacy of Professor Drewes to the UBL and to mark the opening of the Asia Library in the University Library at the Witte Singel. The fund provides financial support to one or more fellowships at the Scaliger Institute. The…

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has introduced itself into everyone's lives. Naturally, Leiden University Libraries also has to address the development of AI. In this subject guide, we will give a short introduction to (Gen)AI and its effects on the university library. This subject guide has also been…

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.

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…

You are a PhD candidate and the completion of your dissertation is approaching. What to do next?

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…

Leiden University students, staff and (dual) PhDs can use the libraries' databases, e-books and e-journals both on-campus and off-campus.

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

The Centre for Digital Scholarship offers training on research data management (RDM). Topics include Data Management Plans, FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) data, and publishing and archiving data.

This Subject Guide is designed to support students of International Studies with writing their BA thesis and research papers. This guide focuses on the research process, and suggests effective ways to: 1. find a topic and formulate a good research question; 2. search, find and evaluate literature; 3.…

With its more than 1400 bindings and over a thousand fragments Leiden’s collection of medieval manuscripts (up to ca. 1550) is the largest in the Netherlands.

This Subject Guide is designed to support students of Japan studies at Leiden University in their research process. For every step of the research process, this guide introduces a number of tips and recommended resources. You can find several sub-guides and contacts in the 'quick links' in the tab on…

Tips for using film and music in your presentation or essay

Some books have particular features such as design, unique illustrations and descriptive annotations. These features can be of interest for specific research.

Workshop

The Student Repository is part of Scholarly Publications Leiden University and offers an online archive that makes Bachelor and Master theses easily searchable and publicly available.

Check whether you may incorporate journal articles in readers (via ReaderOnline) or place these articles on Brightspace, without having to pay costs via the Easy Access Agreement (also referred to as Reader Agreement).

Workshop

The research suggestions below may be suitable for a bachelor's or master's thesis or can be used as additional source material in ongoing research.

Library

This Subject Guide is designed to support students of Korean studies at Leiden University in their research process. For every step of the research process, this guide introduces a number of tips and recommended resources. You can find several sub-guides and contacts in the 'quick links' in the tab…

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…

Leiden University Libraries (UBL) in partnership with Elsevier hosted a series of online seminars on the challenges involved in achieving reproducibility in research. The seminars aimed to identify best practices that can help to overcome central challenges around reproducibility, and to convey several…

A personal library account and LU-Card is needed to enter the libraries and use on-site facilities.

The exhibition ‘Sanskrit – Across Asia and Beyond’ tells the story of Sanskrit’s more than 3,000-year-long existence. It displays manuscripts and objects from Leiden University Library, complemented with objects from the Nationaal Museum van Wereldculturen. The exhibition runs from May 18 to August…

The exhibition Minerva’s Metamorphoses organized by Leiden University Libraries (UBL) celebrates the University’s fascinating history. The 444th anniversary of Leiden University will be highlighted by contemporary photographs and historical documents from UBL’s collections. The exhibition is on view…

The Lingling Wiyadharma Fellowship program offers the opportunity to three scholars to spend up to three months conducting research using the Southeast Asian and particularly the Indonesian special collections at Leiden University Libraries. The Lingling Wiyadharma Fellowship was made possible by Mr…

On the initiative of Leiden Law School’s Art Committee, the festive opening of the photo exhibition of the Leiden Amateur Photographic Society (LAFV) took place on Friday 20 May 2022 in the C corridor of the Kamerlingh Onnes Building.

Antariksa (Indonesia) is a researcher and co-founding member of KUNCI Cultural Studies Center, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. He is the 2017 laureate of Global South(s) du Collège d'études mondiales/Fondation Maison des sciences de l'homme fellowship, Paris, and currently Associate Fellow of the Institute of…

As Scaliger professor, Erik Kwakkel is responsible for the academic context of the complete Special Collections of the Leiden University Library. His inaugural lecture on 15 May will focus mainly on the section closest to his heart: Medieval books.

We are very pleased to announce that the Dutch Universities (VSNU) and publisher Elsevier have reached an agreement on the journal list that will aim to make 30% of the Dutch research publications Open Access by 2018.

Leiden researchers are entitled to take part in deals regarding Open Access that have been arranged with a substantial number of publishers.

The Lingling Wiyadharma Fellowship program offers the opportunity to three scholars to spend up to three months conducting research using the Southeast Asian and particularly the Indonesian special collections at Leiden University Libraries.

Since 2006, publishing house Brill in Leiden has sponsored the appointment of so-called 'Brill Fellows'. The Brill Fellow researches items in the department Special Collections of Leiden University; as much as possible, this research is based on any of the specific publishing areas of publishing house…

The Isaac Alfred Ailion Fellowship will support scholars to work with the extensive Special Collections of Leiden University in the field of Japanese culture and language for a period of maximum three months.

As of 2017 the Wouter Swets Foundation has invoked a Wouter Swets Fellowship at the Scaliger Institute. The Foundation supports the promotion of research into the holdings relating to the musical tradition from the Balkans and Turkey to Central Asia in the Special Collections of Leiden University Li…

The Juynboll Foundation and the Scaliger Institute of Leiden University Libraries have founded a collaborative fellowship program to enable one or two scholars to study the Arabic and Islam special collections of Leiden University Libraries. The allowance is € 1,500 per month.