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.

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.

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.

Order online

Some helpful instructions how to order online.

Conditions of sale

Conditions of sale when purchasing an online ticket

Globes in 3D

Through an online application, you now get the chance to watch the Blaeu-globes from the Nottebohm Room even closer. The digital tool allows to rotate the globes and to zoom in on the wonderful details.

Precious items

A few rules of thumb to consult rare books or valuable items.

Mission

Collecting and preserving Flemish cultural heritage and granting public access to this collection, for a wide, contemporary and future audience. For decades, the Hendrik Conscience Library has pursued this mission, the very justification of its existence, now and in the future.