The Nottebohm Room is open to individual visitors

From 19 June to 30 August 2026

This summer, the Nottebohm Room is opening its doors once again for the public to enjoy.

Expo 'The Antwerp Songbook'

Hendrik Conscience Heritage Library

The library for Dutch literature, Flemish cultural heritage and the history of Antwerp

The library for Dutch literature, the history of Antwerp, and Flemish cultural heritage

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.

Public and research

Marie-Charlotte Le Bailly

The Heritage Library Hendrik Conscience works very differently than other libraries. Our collection consists of fragile heritage, so our consultation is adapted to that fact. Our curator of Public and Research Marie-Charlotte Le Bailly and our team in the reading room make sure that clients can find what they are looking for quickly and smoothly, either physically in the reading room or online. That is why we like to work closely with researchers. Most of the services we offer are actually free of charge as well.  

Collection management and repository work

Alexandra Noël

The Heritage Library collection is unique. More than 1.5 million volumes, of which 40.000 rare, old prints from before 1830. It is a whole task to preserve such a treasure with the utmost care for the generations to come. Alexandra Noël coordinates the preservation and management of our collection.  

Curators of old prints and manuscripts

Steven Van Impe and Marie-Charlotte Le Bailly

Old prints are books, newspapers and magazines made before the art of book printing was industrialised, which was around the 1800s. That is why every old print is unique, just like manuscripts. Each copy is separately designed, printed and bound and that is what makes them so special. Our two curators would love to help you in your research. 

Public engagement and venue rental

Leni Albertyn

Who has never heard of our Nottebohm room? The impressive historical library is famous in all of Antwerp and beyond. That is partly thanks to Leni Albertyn. Besides the regular public engagement, she also manages the rental of this unique room. This can be for lectures, guest workshops and even television recordings from here and abroad. She makes sure everyone feels welcome.  

Educational coordinator

Thomas Martin

Our educational mission is all about information literacy. How do you adequately and critically work with the information that is available today? Thanks to our collection, a true treasure trove of information, we have a lot of experience on this subject ourselves, which we pass on to schools. We also focus on education online. Thomas Martin is our educational coordinator. 

Curator of modern prints

Marlou de Bont

From the 19th century onwards, the book becomes a mass-produced item, printed with the help of the industrial printing press on machine-made paper. This kind of mechanisation happens little by little. In our collection policy, we date the transition to the year 1830. From then on, we speak of ‘modern prints’. Curator Marlou de Bont manages this extensive part of our collection. Do you have research questions about the modern prints in our collection? Feel free to contact her.