The Globes of Blaeu

The celestial and terrestrial globes of Willem Jansz. Blaeu (1571-1638) were in the 17th century praised as progressive creations in the field of cartographic techniques. The globes now at the Heritage Library were in 1836 gifted by Baron de Pret de Terveken to the City of Antwerp.

Cataloguing system

Mieke Lietaer

How do you find the right books and materials in our vast collection of nearly 800.000 titles? Every edition is carefully described in our extensive catalogue. This way, users can find what they are looking for in different manners. However, that can only happen when the descriptions are accurate and complete. Mieke Lietaer is responsible for the cataloguing system.  

Making reproductions

You may scan, copy or photograph some items from our collection yourself. Alternatively, you can request a high-quality scan from our reproduction service.

From student programme to exhibition: Design for Digital Reading

What can a book from the 17th century teach us about digital reading? During the three-year programme Design for Digital Reading, a team of students, instructors and curators delved into the Heritage Library’s historical collection. The assignment was just as simple as it was complex: use the analogue books as a breeding ground for digital reading innovations. The result? An exposition full of innovative prototypes that redefine the boundaries of reading and experience. 

Reading room

In our reading room you can consult all collection items of the Hendrik Conscience Heritage Library. You can also search our digital databases and have reproductions made. For those who want to get to know the library and its heritage collections in more detail, there are our introductory sessions or workshops.

Egyptian Cabinet

There is a remarkable piece of furniture in the Nottebohm Room: The Egyptian Cabinet. It holds twelve unique and impressive volumes containing a total of nine hundred lithographs by Eberhard Weidenbach. The book itself is the ‘Denkmäler aus Aegypten und Aethiopiën’ by Karl Richard Lepsius, the result of a three-year expedition along the Nile Valley starting in 1842.

A virtual visit to the Nottebohm Room

Hidden gem now available online

The Nottebohm Room is a true hidden gem. Visit this magical room from home.

Treasures of the Nottebohm Room

For groups

Visit one of the most beautiful and prestigious library spaces with your association or group. A guide will take you through the history of the building and explain the special books kept there.

Bezoek

Nottebohm Fellowship for Book Historical Research

The Plantin-Moretus Museum and the Hendrik Conscience Heritage Library (Antwerp) are pleased to announce a fellowship programme for research into the history of the early printed book (15th-18th century) in Antwerp, with the gracious support of the “Thierry and Frédéric Nottebohm Grant” of the Nottebohm Family Foundation.