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{{Short description|National library of the Netherlands}}
{{Infobox library
| native_name = Koninklijke Bibliotheek (KB)
| native_name_lang = nl
| name = KB National Library of the Netherlands
| library_logo = Logo koninklijke bibliotheek.svg
| image = Koninklijke Bibliotheek (7985207450).jpg
| caption = The KB as seen from the Prins Bernhardviaduct
| type = [[National Library]]
| established = {{Start date and age|1798|paren=yes}}
| location = [[The Hague]]
| coordinates = {{Coord|52|4|50.37|N|4|19|36.35|E|display=inline, title}}
| collection_size = 7 million printed items: over {{Convert | 115 | km | abbr = on}} of books, newspapers, journals, and microforms<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.kb.nl/en/organisation/organization-and-policy/kb-in-a-nutshell|title=KB in a nutshell}}</ref>
| members = 16,975
| budget = €128 million (2023) <ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20250114145736/https://www.kb.nl/file-download/download/public/6039 Financial overview and budget 2023], archived on 14-01-2025</ref>
| director = [[:nl:Wilma van Wezenbeek|Wilma van Wezenbeek]]
| num_employees = 481 FTE (2023)
| website = {{URL|www.kb.nl/en}}
}}

The '''KB National Library of the Netherlands''' (legal [[Dutch (language)|Dutch]] name: '''Koninklijke Bibliotheek''' {{IPA|nl|ˈkoːnɪŋkləkə ˌbiblijoːˈteːk|}} or '''KB''' {{IPA|nl|kaːˈbeː|}}; ''Royal Library'') is the [[national library]]  of [[Netherlands|the Netherlands]], based in [[The Hague]], founded in 1798.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Koninklijke Bibliotheek / Royal Library of the Netherlands|url=https://www.cenl.org/library/koninklijke-bibliotheek/|website=The Conference of European National Librarians (CENL)|language=en-GB|access-date=2020-05-23}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Dutch Royal Library {{!}} library, The Hague, Netherlands|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Dutch-Royal-Library|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en|access-date=2020-05-23}}</ref>

The KB collects everything that is published in and concerning the Netherlands, from [[medieval literature]] to today's publications. About 7 million publications are stored in the stockrooms, including books, newspapers, magazines and maps. The KB offers digital services, such as the national online Library (with e-books and audiobooks), [[Delpher]] (millions of digitized pages) and [https://geheugen.delpher.nl/en The Memory] (about 800,000 images). Since 2015, the KB has played a coordinating role for the network of the public library.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The National Library of the Netherlands – Digital Preservation (Library of Congress)|url=http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/series/edge/koninklijke.html|website=digitalpreservation.gov|access-date=2020-05-23}}</ref> The KB's collection of websites as hosted by the former Dutch internet provider XS4ALL is on the Unesco documentary world heritage memory of the world. It is the first web collection in the world that has been granted this status.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kb.nl/en/news/kbs-special-web-collection-xs4all-home-pages-dutch-unesco-memory-world-heritage-list|title=KB's special web collection of XS4ALL home pages on Dutch UNESCO Memory of the World heritage list &#124; KB, National Library of the Netherlands|website=www.kb.nl}}</ref>

== History ==
The initiative to found a national library was proposed by representative Albert Jan Verbeek on 17 August 1798. The collection would be based on the confiscated book collection of [[William V, Prince of Orange|William V]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pwrb.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/2018/02/13/national-library-of-the-netherlands/|title=National Library of The Netherlands|date=2018-02-13|website=Preserving the World's Rarest Books|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-08-13}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Hanson|first=J. C. M.|date=April 1940|title=Review: The Royal Library of the Netherlands|journal=The Library Quarterly: Information, Community, Policy|publisher=The University of Chicago Press|volume=10|issue=2|pages=266–269|jstor=4302710|doi=10.1086/614725|s2cid=148032362}}</ref> The library was officially founded as the ''Nationale Bibliotheek'' (National Library) on November 8 of the same year, after a committee of representatives had advised the creation of a national library on the same day. The National Library was initially only open to members of the Representative Body.

King [[Louis Bonaparte]] gave the [[national library]] in 1806 the predicate 'Royal'. Napoleon Bonaparte transferred the Royal Library to The Hague as property, while also allowing the Imperial Library in Paris to expropriate publications from the Royal Library. In 1815 King [[William I of the Netherlands]] confirmed the name of 'Royal Library' (Dutch: Koninklijke Bibliotheek) by royal [[decree]]. It has been known as the National Library of the Netherlands since 1982, when it opened new quarters.<ref name="auto">{{cite book|last1=Murray|first1=Stuart|title=The Library: An Illustrated History|date=2009|publisher=Skyhorse Publishing|location=Chicago}}</ref> The institution became 'Independent Administrative Body' of the state in 1996, although it is financed by the [[Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (Netherlands)|Department of Education, Culture and Science]]. On 18 November 2014 the Wsob (Public Library Facilities System Act or 'Library Act'<ref>[https://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0035878/2015-01-01 Wet stelsel openbare bibliotheekvoorzieningen] (Dutch). Retrieved 2022-11-16.</ref>) came into being. The act became valid on 1 January 2015 and from this moment onwards four organizations from the library world continued under the name Koninklijke Bibliotheek. These organizations are Sector Institute Public Libraries (SIOB), the Foundation Bibliotheek.nl (BNL), the [[Digital Library for Dutch Literature]] (DBNL) and the Koninklijke Bibliotheek (KB). In 2020 the name was changed to 'KB, national library'.

== Assignments ==
The KB's main task is to acquire, catalogue, store and make available the printed (including the modern digital variants) heritage of the Netherlands and thus offer everyone in the Netherlands the opportunity to read, learn and research. It is also responsible for directing and coordinating the Public Library world according to the Public Library Facilities Act (WSOB). Together with the network of (public) libraries, the KB is building the national digital library.

== Collection ==
In the KB's older collections, the [[humanities]] were central, with an emphasis on Dutch history, language and culture. Since 1974, however, all publications in the field of [[Exact sciences|exact]] and [[social science]]s have also been collected within the framework of the 'Depot van Nederlandse Publicaties' (Depository of Dutch Publications).

In 2016, the KB contained 7,000,000 items, equivalent to 115 kilometres of bookshelves. Most items in the collection are books. There are also pieces of "[[grey literature]]", where the author, publisher, or date may not be apparent but the document has cultural or intellectual significance.<ref name="auto" /> The collection contains almost the entire literature of the [[Netherlands]], from medieval manuscripts to modern scientific publications. As there was no mandatory law for depositing Dutch publications, the library started on 1 January 1974, the voluntary 'Depot van Nederlandse Publicaties' (Dutch Repository Library). This in contrast with most other countries that have a [[legal deposit]] of publications. For a publication to be accepted, it must be from a registered Dutch publisher.<ref name="auto" />

The Royal Library of the Netherlands also has works of art and antiquities. One such piece of art is ''The Madonna with the Christ Child'' by the fifteenth-century French painter [[Jean Fouquet]], who is regarded as one of the best painters from that era. A valuable antiquity that is housed within the library is a bound book by [[Christopher Plantin]] (1520–89), a sixteenth-century French printer and publisher. The binding is made of brown calfskin with gold tooling. The book was made at Plantin's workshop in Antwerp and was dedicated to [[Emperor Charles V]] (1500–58). The library also has remarkable eighteenth-century brocade paper from Augsburg, Germany. In addition, the library holds a rare elaborately illustrated book from 1596. The book is of the travels of [[Jan Huygen van Linschoten]] (1563-1611). He travelled to Spain, India, Indonesia, and East Asia.<ref>Murray, Stuart. ''The Library: An Illustrated History.'' New York: Skyhorse, 2019. Print.</ref> Another valuable antiquity is the oldest depiction of 'Dutchmen'. In 975, [[Dirk II, Count of Holland|Count Dirk]] and Countess Hildegard donated the medieval manuscript, known as the ''[[Egmond Gospels]]'', to [[Egmond Abbey]]. It is one of the oldest surviving church treasures and includes depictions of 'Dutch' people and buildings. The ''Egmond Gospels'' were lost around the sixteenth century, but were found in the early nineteenth century. Knowing its historical significance, the Dutch government purchased the manuscript and brought it to the Royal Library of the Netherlands.<ref>[https://www.kb.nl/en/themes/middle-ages/egmond-gospels]</ref> The Royal Library of the Netherlands also has the ''Trivulzio Book of Hours'' (ca. 1465), a medieval manuscript that measures 9&nbsp;cm x 13&nbsp;cm, and contains wonderfully detailed Flemish miniature art.<ref>[https://www.kb.nl/en/themes/middle-ages/trivulzio-book-of-hours-ca-1465]</ref> One of the most precious atlases is the [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Atlas_van_der_Hagen Atlas van der Hagen]<ref>All plates can also be viewed on this site.</ref> of 4 volumes, each containing something more than 100 maps and prints, created around 1690. All plates were coloured by hand and highlighted with gold by [[:nl:|Dirk Jansz van Santen]], a famous 'afzetter' (somebody who embellished prints, maps and book illustrations at a time when it was not yet possible to print in colour).

In 1871, the library bought the library of A. van der Linde, among others devoted to [[chess]]. Mixed with that of M. Niemeijer, acquired in 1948, the ''Biblioteca van der Linde-Niemeijeriana'' (approximately 40,000 items) forms one of the most important collections worldwide on this topic.<ref>F. Knuttel. ''Bibliotheca van der Linde-Niemeijeriana, a catalogue of the chess collection in the Royal Library, The Hague''. The Hague, Staatsdrukkerij- en uitgeverijbedrijf, 1955.</ref>

<gallery>
Mary holding the Christ-child - Book of hours Simon de Varie - KB 74 G37a - 001v min.jpg|Mary holding the Christ-child - miniature from folio 001v from the Book of Hours of Simon de Varie - KB 74 G37a
Verluchte initiaal aan het begin van de Beatrijs-handschrift.jpg|Illuminated initial at the beginning of the Beatrijs manuscript
Trivulzio book of hours - KW SMC 1 - folio 110v.jpg|Trivulzio book of hours, folio 110v
Gruuthuse manuscript - KW 79 K 10 - 27v 28r.jpg|Gruuthuse manuscript, 27v-28r
Egmond Gospels - 76 F 1 - IIIv-IVr.jpg|Evangeliarium of Egmond IIIv-IVr
Atlas Van der Hagen-KW1049B10 001-Arctico Norwegio Succia Dania Russia Polonia Ukraniae Hung-a Germania et Helvetia.jpeg|One of the four title prints of the Atlas van der Hagen. This one is from the part: Arctico Norwegio Succia Dania Russia Polonia Ukraniae Hung: a Germania.
</gallery>

The collection is accessible for members. Any person aged 16 years or older can become a member. One-day passes are also available. Requests for material take approximately 30 [[minute]]s. The KB hosts several open access websites, including the "Memory of the Netherlands" (''Geheugen van Nederland''),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://geheugen.delpher.nl/en/geheugen/pages/webpage/over+het+geheugen|title=Image database - Memory of the Netherlands - Online image database of archives, museums and libraries|work=geheugenvannederland.nl}}</ref> [[Digital Library for Dutch Literature]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dbnl.org/overdbnl/organisatie.php|title=Organisatie|website=Digital Library for Dutch Literature|access-date=14 June 2020|language=nl}}</ref> and [[Delpher]], an archive of more than 100 million pages as of 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.delpher.nl/nl/platform/pages/helpitems?nid=462|title=Delpher: de Organisatie|website=Delpher|access-date=14 June 2020|language=nl}}</ref> The KB also holds material related to [[the Fagel Collection]].

== Depot van Nederlandse Publicaties (Depository of Dutch Publications) ==
The KB started a voluntary Deposit of Dutch Publications on 1 January 1974. In 1985, by decree of the Council of Ministers, government departments and institutions and institutions subsidized by the government were obliged to submit a free copy of their publications to the KB. The KB strives for a Dutch collection that is as complete as possible of books, magazines and geographical maps published in the Netherlands, written abroad by Dutch people or about the Netherlands. [[Sheet music]] (because the volume of publications per year was too large for processing within the Depository) and [[Braille]] books (so as not to unnecessarily withdraw copies from libraries for the blind) were excluded from the start. At first, local door-to-door newspapers were also included, but the acquisition was stopped in 1992. Title information of the publications is included in the Dutch National Bibliography. In 1976, the editorship of ''Brinkman's Cumulatieve Catalogus van Boeken'' 
(Brinkman's Cumulative Catalog of Books)(1858-2001) was taken over from the private publisher Samsom-Sijthoff, giving it the status of national bibliography. The KB has been carrying out the Depositary Task since 1974 and thus manages part of the Dutch cultural heritage. In order to protect the interests of the copyright holders, the publications can only be consulted locally, unless the copyright holder consents to such online consultation.

== Short-Title Catalogue, Netherlands (STCN) == 
The [[Short-title catalogue]], Netherlands is a service of the KB. It concerns a database of the Dutch retrospective bibliography up to 1800. The database contains (abridged) descriptions of all books that were published up to and including the year 1800 within the borders of the present-day Netherlands and of all books published in the Dutch language outside the Netherlands. The STCN is made on the basis of the collections of libraries in and outside the Netherlands. The size of the file is more than 200,000 titles in more than 500,000 copies (November 2013). The STCN was created in a project. The project was completed in 2009. The service is continued by the KB and the database is expanded daily.

==Literature museum==
{{anchor|Literature museum}}The Literature museum was founded in 1750<ref name="memory">{{cite web|url=https://geheugen.delpher.nl/en/geheugen/pages/instelling/Letterkundig+Museum|title=Literatuurmuseum|website=The Memory|access-date=14 June 2020}}</ref> as Nederlands Letterkundig Museum,<ref name="mondriaan">{{cite web|url=https://www.mondriaanfonds.nl/en/supported/literatuurmuseum/|title=Literatuurmuseum |website=Mondriaan Fonds|access-date=14 June 2020}}</ref> The museum contains a large collection of letters, manuscripts and memorabilia. The museum has three permanent and several temporary exhibitions. It also contains a special children's book museum.<ref name="memory" /> On 4 February 2016, an online museum was opened.<ref name="mondriaan" /> On 1 November 2016, the museum was renamed to Literature museum.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://literatuurmuseum.nl/museumbezoek/nieuws/letterkundig-museum-wordt-literatuurmuseum|title=Letterkundig Museum wordt Literatuurmuseum|website=Literatuur Museum|access-date=14 June 2020|language=nl}}</ref> The museum has a reading room with an extensive collection of newspaper clipping, and under certain conditions, some archival material can be consulted.<ref name="memory" />

==Special exhibitions==
On the occasion of the bicentenary of the library in 1998, the exhibition ''Het worderbaarlijke alfabet'' (The Miraculous Alphabet) was organized in the [[Nieuwe Kerk, Amsterdam]] and three books<ref>P.W. Klein en M.A.V. Klein Meijer (1998). ''De wereld van de Koninklijke Bibliotheek''.</ref><ref>Marieke van Delft et al. (red.) (1998). ''Verzamelaars en verzamelingen, Koninklijke Bibliotheek 1798-1998''</ref><ref>Kees Thomassen and J.A. Gruys (red.) (1998). ''The album amicorum of Jacob Heyblocq, introduction, transcriptions, paraphrases & notes to the facsimile''.</ref> and a special 80 cent stamp were issued. In 2002, the next major exhibition ''Wonderland, from Pietje Bell to Harry Potter'', especially for children, was held in the [[Kunsthal]] in Rotterdam, in which a selection was made from its collection of 125,000 children's books.<ref>Marieke van Delft et al. Wonderland: Van Pietje Bell tot Harry Potter, Kinderboeken van de Koninklijke Bibliotheek in de Kunsthal Rotterdam. In: ''De Boekenwereld'', jrg. 19, p. 4-12.</ref><ref>Bregje Boonstra et al. (2002).''Wonderland, de wereld van het kinderboek''.</ref> Thanks to support from the VSB Cultural Fund, which took care of the transport of more than 40,000 school children between 8 and 12 years old from all over the Netherlands, this was a great success. When a new storeroom extension of the KB complex was taken into use in 2006, the exhibition ''Magazine!'' was  organized. This was set up as a three-dimensional magazine in which the visitor literally walks around.<ref>Marieke van Delft et al. (2006). ''Magazine! : 150 jaar Nederlandse publiekstijdschriften''</ref>

==Research==
The KB's Research Department is engaged in internationally renowned research in the field of digital technology, sustainable preservation and accessibility of both paper and digital heritage. Important topics are the applicability of [[artificial intelligence]], the use of [[big data]], the increasing importance of privacy & security, the changes in the publishing and publishing world and the role of public libraries in today's society.

== Nazi-looted art ==
In 2015, it was discovered that “View of the Kattenberghof in Antwerp with horsemen in the foreground” by [[Gillis Neyts]] (1618-1687) had belonged [[Dr. Arthur Feldmann]], a Jewish art collector from [[Brno]] (Czech Republic) who was murdered in the [[The Holocaust|Holocaust]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Restitue une oeuvre d'art spoliée par les nazis pendant la guerre |url=https://lootedart.com/news.php?r=RJXHBU556181 |access-date=2024-11-16 |website=lootedart.com}}</ref>  In 2020 it was discovered that 'La buveuse d'absinthe', a watercolour by [[Félicien Rops]] from 1876 had belonged to the French collector, [[Armand Dorville]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Koninklijke Bibliotheek bezit nazi-roofkunst - The Royal Library has Nazi-looted Art |url=https://www.lootedart.com/news.php?r=U3FRWJ679321 |access-date=2024-11-16 |website=www.lootedart.com |quote=Although the provenance is mentioned in its own catalogue, the Library did not realise that it could be looted art. We bought the watercolour in good faith in 1968,' says interim director Sara Lammens. After the war the Library bought thousands of works, which may not always have been thoroughly provenance researched.}}</ref>

== Accommodation ==
In 1973 the 'Rijksgebouwendienst' (Government Buildings Agency) awarded the contract to the architects A. Hagoort, P.B.M. van der Meer and A.J. Trotz from Bureau OD205 for a new building, construction of which began in 1977. Since 1982, the library has been housed in a modern building at the Prins Willem Alexanderhof in The Hague, next to [[Den Haag Centraal railway station|The Hague Central Station]]. The entire complex comprises approx. 55,000 m<sup>2</sup> net and approx. 78,000 m<sup>2</sup> gross surface (gross content 305,000 m<sup>3</sup>). The building, which is characterized by 5,200 white aluminum plates that clad the facades, with rounded corners and recessed facade surfaces, stands next to the [[Nationaal Archief]]. The building also houses the 'Literatuurmuseum' (Literary Museum), the [[Kinderboekenmuseum]] (Children's Book Museum), [[Netherlands Institute for Art History|RKD]] and the offices of [[Europeana]], DEN (Digital Heritage Netherlands) [[Ligue des Bibliothèques Européennes de Recherche|LIBER]] and [[International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions|IFLA]]. The CDNL<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cdnl.info/|title=Conference of Directors of National Libraries|date=November 14, 2023|website=cdnl.info}}</ref> secretariat is also housed in the KB building. The library was previously located in the former city palace Huis Huguetan on the [[Lange Voorhout]] (period 1821 to 1982), before that in the [[Mauritshuis]] (period 1807 to 1821) and a site at the [[Binnenhof]] (period 1798 to 1807).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kb.nl/en/organisation/organization-and-policy/history-of-the-kb|title=History of the KB}}</ref>

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
Wikimedia Nederland Nieuwjaarsborrel 2014 in het Nationaal Archief (03).JPG|Sculpture of the former front of the Royal Library on the Lange Voorhout, 1821–1982, in the reading room of the present building.
Voorgevel - 's-Gravenhage - 20087135 - RCE.jpg|Front of the KB at Lange Voorhout, January 1925
Koninklijke Bibliotheek (7985208312).jpg|Main entrance KB, 2007
Koninklijke Bibliotheek (7985199057).jpg|Rear and store rooms KB, 2009 
Koninklijke Bibliotheek 0056.JPG|Reading room KB, 2015
Koninklijke Bibliotheek Den Haag (6).JPG|Reading room KB, 2013
Koninklijke Bibliotheek 0031.JPG|Old catalogue KB, 2015
Magazijnen van de Koninklijke Bibliotheek in Den Haag.jpg|Store rooms KB, 2009
Special collection (2934672900).jpg|Exhibition room Masterpieces KB, 2008
Koninklijke Bibliotheek Den Haag (5).JPG|[[Microform|Microfiche]] and microfilm room KB, 2013
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[Books in the Netherlands]]
*[[European Library]]
*[[List of libraries in the Netherlands]]
*[[Nederlandse Centrale Catalogus]] (Dutch Central Catalog)

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Koninklijke Bibliotheek, Netherlands}}
*{{Official website|www.kb.nl/en}} {{in lang|en}}
*[https://literatuurmuseum.nl/ Literature museum] {{in lang|nl}}
*''[http://manuscripts.kb.nl Medieval illuminated manuscript]'', 11,000 illuminations (illustrations and decorations) from 400 medieval manuscripts up to ca. 1550 ([[CC0]], 11,141 images for Commons with bulkupload)
*''[https://watermark.kb.nl/default/search/advanced/ Watermarks in Incunabula printed in the Low Countries (WILC)]'',  16,000 watermarks from books printed in the Low Countries (Netherlands & Belgium ([[CC0]])

{{Netherlands topics}}
{{National libraries of Europe}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1798 establishments in Europe]]
[[Category:Culture of the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Education in South Holland]]
[[Category:Government of the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Libraries established in 1798]]
[[Category:Libraries in The Hague]]
[[Category:National libraries|Netherlands]]
[[Category:Open-access archives]]
[[Category:Organisations based in The Hague]]
[[Category:Organisations based in the Netherlands with royal patronage]]
[[Category:Louis Bonaparte]]
[[Category:William I of the Netherlands]]