Leiden University owns an extensive collection of papyri. The Papyrological Institute is proprietor of most of this collection. A smaller amount of Papyri is part of the ULL collection. Apart from original papyri the Papyrological Institute offers an extensive collection of handbooks and secondary studies…

The University Library (UB) offers guided group visits, introducing our collections and the rich history of the library.

Leiden University teachers wishing to stream audiovisual materials during online classes, can book the University Library's media room (ground floor) for this purpose.

Leiden University Libraries (UBL) works together with authors and publishers regularly and supports publication of books about the collections. Publications can be obtained from bookshops or publishers. You can also order publications via email (plaatsing@library.leidenuniv.nl). Please give the following…

Open Access means making your research public via a publisher or on a platform, so that its contents are freely available online. The CDS' Open Access Team helps authors navigating the OA landscape.

Leiden University Libraries (UBL) is an internationally recognised research library with world-class collections and advanced services for education and research. The UBL provides these scholarly information services as a trusted partner in knowledge for researchers, teachers and students. We create…

Address Bibliotheca Thysiana Rapenburg 25 2311 GG 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 guide for finding Korean newspapers, magazines, live TV broadcasts and audiovisual materials.

Leiden’s University Library provides access to a large collection of digital (contemporary) and digitized (historical) newspapers. These newspapers can be found through the library’s catalogue and through the library’s databases. Furthermore, the Dutch National Library offers access to several international…

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.

We understand that starting a new study program can be quite overwhelming, with all the information coming your way. So, here you'll find just the most important things. Questions? Just ask at the library desk or send us a message!

The libraries offer over 2300 study places. Some are freely available, some are available to Leiden University students only.

All University staff involved or interested in research data management are invited to join Leiden University Research Data Management Community.

Everyone working with research data will, at some point, come across the acronym of FAIR, which stands for Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable.

Library, Organisation, Research

Library, Research

Overview of databases, reference works and websites for Research in Russian and Eurasian Studies

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.

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.

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

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

A number of tools and services are available to help you keep up to date with the latest developments in your subject field.

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).

Read all about the most important functionalities of Mendeley.

Leiden University alumni and PhD graduates can continue to use library facilities free of charge.

Library, Research

Workshops, lectures

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

Museums, libraries and similar institutions can request materials for exhibitions from the Special Collections.

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.

The collection Prints, Drawings and Portraits comprises over 100,000 prints, 12,000 drawings and 30,000 portraits.

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…

Need a resource the library does not own?

Study support

Study support

Study support

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.…

What we now call ‘early printed books’ used to be ‘modern’ works in former centuries.

In short, data management can be defined as the creation, storage, maintenance, disclosure, archiving and sustainable preservation of research data. Increasingly the so called FAIR principles are referred to as a final goal: data should be made 'Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-usable'.

Explanation and background of Dutch copyright

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…

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.

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.

Overview of databases, reference works and websites for research in Biology

Overview of databases, reference works and websites for research in Molecular Science & Technology

The number of historical and contemporary photographs of Leiden University approaches a half million.

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:…