Flanders Heritage Library
Flanders Heritage Libraries is a network organisation established by six heritage libraries in Flanders (Belgium). Through projects and research, we aim to develop competence and spread knowledge about preserving heritage library collections and making them accessible. Additionally, we wish to raise public awareness about the riches of heritage library collections in Flanders and Brussels.
We offer a comprehensive website in Dutch via www.vlaamse-erfgoedbibliotheek.be. If you wish to receive more information about our organisation in English, feel free to contact us via phone or email.
Photo Album: An ABC of Heritage Libraries
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Acquisitie // Acquisition
Each heritage library has its individual thematic or regional profile. Collections are expanded and enriched via carefully considered acquisitions and a well thought-out donation policy.
31-07-2014 | Antifonarium Tsgrooten, manuscript from 1522 with hymns for the liturgy of the hours, from the abbey of Tongerlo. On loan from the Flemish Community to Ghent University Library | © Flanders Heritage Library - Photography: Stefan Tavernier -
Bibliofiel // Bibliophile
Many heritage libraries owe thanks to the zeal of bibliophile collectors. They also preserve modern bibliophile editions, books executed in exceptional formats.
31-07-2014 | Marcel Van Maele, Gebottelde gedichten [Bottled poems], Antwerp, 1972 and Hoe bewaar ik mijn boeken? [How to preserve my books?], Edegem, 1993 | Heritage Library Hendrik Conscience - Antwerp | © Flanders Heritage Library - Photography: Stefan Tavernier -
Catalogus // Catalogue
A library’s assets are described in a catalogue according to strict rules. This used to be done on index cards kept in special cabinets. Today, online catalogues are used, allowing readers to locate publications from home.
31-07-2014 | Card catalogue, Ghent University Library | © Flanders Heritage Library - Photography: Stefan Tavernier -
Digitalisering // Digitisation
Important, vulnerable or frequently used titles are digitised to protect them and make them more available. Originals no longer need to be manipulated and digital copies can be accessed globally via the internet. Automatic character recognition allows ‘paper’ text to be searched.
31-07-2014 | Scanning studio with overhead book scanner, Bruges Public Library | © Flanders Heritage Library - Photography: Stefan Tavernier -
Ex libris // Ex libris
Collectors often paste or stamp an ex libris with their name and a figurative, emblematic image in their books. Such provenance marks are also found in historical books and serve as a primary source for researchers of the reading cultures of the past.
31-07-2014 | Sancta et salubris memoria, Bruges: Nicolaus Breyghel, 1639, ex libris with the coat of arms of Emmanuel de Bethune. De Bethune Foundation - Marke | © Flanders Heritage Library - Photography: Stefan Tavernier -
Formaat // Format
Printed books are made up of quires, which can have varying formats. The largest ‘folio’ format consist of four pages. It is created by folding a sheet of paper once. An additional fold results in a ‘quarto’ format of eight pages and a third fold in an ‘octavo’ format of sixteen pages.
31-07-2014 | Gospel of John, Antwerp: J.B. Carstiaenssens, [1722-1811], unfolded printed sheet, Heritage Library Hendrik Conscience - Antwerp | © Flanders Heritage Library - Photography: Stefan Tavernier -
Goudstempeling // Gold tooling
Books used to be bound in leather or parchment. The binding was sometimes tooled, using gold leaf to give books their characteristic sparkle. Contemporary book binders use gold tooling rather creatively.
31-07-2014 | Lucianus Samosatensis, Dialogues des courtisanes, [Paris]: Henri Creuzevault & Dina Vierny, 1948, illustrated by Aristide Maillol and bound by Henri Creuzevault, Bibliotheca Wittockiana - Brussels | © Flanders Heritage Library - Photography: Stefan Tavernier -
Handschrift // Manuscript
In the Middle Ages, all books were manuscripts. Texts were written and copied by hand, usually on parchment. From coloured initials to highly detailed miniatures: the variety of the illuminations knows no bounds. As a result, each manuscript is a unique object.
31-07-2014 | Augustin, De civitate Dei, 15th-century manuscript from the Cistercian abbey Ten Duinen, Bruges Public Library | © Flanders Heritage Library - Photography: Stefan Tavernier -
Incunabel // Incunable31-07-2014 | Biblia sacra, Speyer: Petrus Drach, 1486, KU Leuven University Library - Maurits Sabbe Library | © Flanders Heritage Library - Photography: Stefan Tavernier
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Japans papier // Japanese paper
Japanese paper is made from fibres of the mulberry tree. It is very durable and nearly invisible when applied to a light background. That makes it ideal for restoring tears and holes in paper documents.
31-07-2014 | Restoration studio, Plantin-Moretus Museum/Print Room Antwerp | © Flanders Heritage Library - Photography: Stefan Tavernier -
Krant // Newspaper
Heritage libraries often hold extensive collections of newspapers and periodicals. As a unique historical source, documenting all facets of life and society, they are consulted intensively.
31-07-2014 | Collection of local newspapers, Bibliotheca Wasiana - Sint-Niklaas | © Flanders Heritage Library - Photography: Stefan Tavernier -
Leeskussen // Book Pillow
Old, valuable or fragile books are consulted on a special pillow to protect the spine and the binding from harm. A book weight (or ‘snake’) ensures that the book remains open on the desired page without crushing the spine.
31-07-2014 | Werner Rolevinck, Den grooten fasciculus temporum, Utrecht: Johannes Veldener, 1480, Antwerp University Library | © Flanders Heritage Library - Photography: Stefan Tavernier -
Magazijn // Stacks
Rare books and other valuable historical documents are not stored on open access shelves. Heritage collections are held in closed stacks and special vaults. To utilise the available space efficiently, mobile shelving is used.
31-07-2014 | Basement stacks with mobile aisle shelving, Averbode Abbey Library | © Flanders Heritage Library - Photography: Stefan Tavernier -
Naslagwerk // Reference work
Heritage libraries house a wealth of historic documents for researchers to consult. They also offer the necessary reference works in their reading room, an environment that often combines business with pleasure.
31-07-2014 | Main reading room of the Central Library, KU Leuven University Library | © Flanders Heritage Library - Photography: Stefan Tavernier -
Ontsluiting // Dissemination
Everyone should be able to get acquainted with special library collections. To facilitate this, dissemination efforts do not stop at cataloguing these collections. They are also made visible and accessible via exhibitions, online repositories, lectures and other initiatives for the public at large.
31-07-2014 | Exhibit of historical prints, Limburg Provincial Library - Hasselt | © Flanders Heritage Library - Photography: Stefan Tavernier -
Preservering // Preservation
Special collection items in libraries are at risk of all sorts of damage: from water and fire, from fluctuations in light or temperature, and also from dust, pests or frequent use. With the right measures in place, damage is prevented and curative actions can be avoided.
31-07-2014 | Air conditioning, Heritage Library Hendrik Conscience - Antwerp | © Flanders Heritage Library - Photography: Stefan Tavernier -
Quarantaine // Quarantine
A calamity can cause documents to become damp, making them prone to moulding. To stop mould growth and to prevent spread to other parts of the collection, the affected items are placed in quarantine until treated.
31-07-2014 | Water damage 05-06-07, Ghent University Library | © Flanders Heritage Library - Photography: Stefan Tavernier -
Reproductie // Reproduction
Readers are not always handed the authentic document. Fragile newspapers, for example, are less and less consulted in paper form. Microfilm copies and digital renditions serve as a substitute. To help protect the originals, libraries also provide reproductions of valuable manuscripts and rare books.
31-07-2014 | Consulting newspapers on microfilm, Heritage Library Hendrik Conscience - Antwerp | © Flanders Heritage Library - Photography: Stefan Tavernier -
Signatuur // Shelf mark
In a heritage library, the storage location of a document is determined by its dimensions and the special care it may need. Each item receives its own ‘signature’ or shelf mark. This combination of letters, numbers or other symbols allows library assistants to easily retrieve works from the stacks.
31-07-2014 | Collection Ernest Closson (1870-1950), Royal Conservatory Brussels - Erasmus University College | © Flanders Heritage Library - Photography: Stefan Tavernier -
Typografie // Typography
Typography is a synonym for printing with movable type, but it can also refer to page design. The setting of balanced and attractive pages is a trade by itself, as is the application of suitable type faces. This used to be the domain of the compositor or type setter. Today, graphic designers take on this role.
31-07-2014 | Type case with upper case letters, Plantin-Moretus Museum/Print Room - Antwerp | © Flanders Heritage Library - Photography: Stefan Tavernier -
Uitgeversband // Publisher’s Binding
Until the beginning of the nineteenth century, books were usually sold unbound. It was up to the buyer to approach an artisan binder. From 1800 on, publishers began to determine how bindings were executed. They started to tailor the cover design to the content of the book.
31-07-2014 | Henry M. Stanley, Stanley’s reizen, ontdekkingen en lotgevallen in Midden-Afrika [Stanley’s Travels, Discoveries and Adventures in Central Africa], Amsterdam, 1886, Antwerp University Library | © Flanders Heritage Library - Photography: Stefan Tavernier -
Verzuring // Paper Degradation
In the nineteenth and twentieth century, paper was made mainly from wood pulp. This kind of paper deteriorates rather fast. Transferring documents to microfilm or digital formats helps preserve the information they hold. The originals must be protected from environmental factors that speed up the decay.
31-07-2014 | Deteriorating newspapers, KU Leuven University Library | © Flanders Heritage Library - Photography: Stefan Tavernier -
Watermerk // Watermark
For a long time, paper was made by hand. When holding such paper to the light, the typical chain lines made by the woven copper wires from the mould or ‘deckle’ are clearly visible. A watermark is found in the centre of the sheet. The figure usually referred to the mill where the paper was made.
31-07-2014 | P.C. Hooft, Nederlandsche historien, Amsterdam-Leiden-Utrecht: Henrik Wetstein e.a., 1703 - Watermark of an Amsterdam paper maker, Limburg Provincial Library - Hasselt | © Flanders Heritage Library - Photography: Stefan Tavernier -
XML // XML
Much of tomorrow’s heritage, like e-books and electronic journals, is no longer published on paper but in digital formats only. The rapid evolution of ICT turns the long term preservation of ‘e-heritage’ into a serious challenge. System-independent formats like XML help ensure the future legibility of information.
31-07-2014 | E-reader, Ghent University Library | © Flanders Heritage Library - Photography: Stefan Tavernier -
Yzergallusinkt // Iron Gall Ink
From the Middle Ages into the twentieth century, documents were written in iron gall ink. This acidic ink gradually eats its way through the paper. Ink corrosion treatment can slow down the decay, but cannot prevent it entirely.
31-07-2014 | Canzonette italiane e spagnole di Gio. Maria Trabaci, 17th-century music manuscript from Italy, Royal Conservatory Brussels - Erasmus University College | © Flanders Heritage Library - Photography: Stefan Tavernier -
Zorg // Care
Heritage libraries care for our printed, written and digital heritage. Through their efforts, these literary, cultural and academic collections are made accessible for today’s readers and preserved for future generations.
31-07-2014 | Vault with special collections, Antwerp University Library | © Flanders Heritage Library - Photography: Stefan Tavernier -
Een ABC van erfgoedbibliotheken // An ABC of Heritage Libraries
Concept and coordination: Eva Wuyts
Photography: Stefan Tavernier
Edited by: Eva Wuyts, Pierre Delsaerdt
Translation: Susanna De Schepper, David CoppoolseWith kind cooperation of:
Heritage Library Hendrik Conscience, Antwerp
Plantin-Moretus Museum/Print Room, Antwerp
Antwerp University Library
Averbode Abbey Library
Bruges Public Library
Bibliotheca Wittockiana, Brussels
Royal Conservatory Brussels
Ghent University Library
Limburg Provincial Library, Hasselt
KU Leuven University Library
De Bethune Foundation, Marke
Bibliotheca Wasiana, Sint-Niklaas31-07-2014 | © Flanders Heritage Library