Projects

The Special Collections department regularly takes in intern studying literature, art history, library science, etc. Those interested can contact the curator.

Internships 2014-now:

1. Karolina Andersdotter (Uppsala University, Zweden), Special Collections, University Library of Antwerp (research internship, October-November 2014)
2. Lotte Feremans (KULeuven), preparation of an object catalogue for the art collection of the University of Antwerp (Kunst op de Campus) (operational internship, October-December 2014)
3. Sarah Adams (UGent), Looking at the Other: geography and ethnography in the Special Collections (research internship, February-April 2015)
4. Lore Michiels (UGent), Illustrations in the Gielen Collection (research internship, February-April 2015)
5. Shana Van Hauwermeiren (UGent), The Early Modern Perception of Animals (operational internship, November-December 2016)
6. Mathias Boel (CVO Volt), Registration of data concerning catalographical objects in Brocade: analysis and synthesis in view collection policies (research internship, April 2017)
7. Arnaud Manise (UAntwerpen), Wikimedia and the Print Room of the UAntwerpen (research internship, February-March 2018)

The University of Antwerp has accumulated a collection of more than a thousand works of modern and contemporary art ranging from paintingsto sculptures and graphic art. These works, with masterpieces by artists such as Sam Dillemans, Fred Bervoets and Jan Fabre and work by young new artists, decorates the hallways, classrooms and gardens of the four campuses. Consequently, art is present all over the University of Antwerp.

The  art collection is managed by the members of the Art on Campus Commission, composed of persons working in different departments of the University, all with a passion for art. They are in charge of the acquisition and administration of the collection. Together with the department of Special Collections the project Art on Campus was set up late 2014. The project focusses on the inventory, description and digitization of the art collection. The goal is to register the collection in an adequate manner using a registration module for artobjects in library system Brocade. The module will be designed in a way that every object can be registered in the most detailed way possible and so that the old Art on Campus database can be integrated in this module. In the future, this catalogue of the art-collection of the University of Antwerp could be made available to a broader audience.

Flandrica.be is a web portal providing free access to fully digitized books, manuscripts, newspapers, engravings and other materials from six heritage libraries in Flanders, Belgium. The corpus consists of ‘Flandrica’, publications produced in Flanders or dealing with Flanders, and unique materials from the Flemish heritage such as manuscripts. Visitors can browse through the most important pieces of each library collection. You can stumble across beautifully illustrated medieval manuscripts, old prints of Plantin, but also old cookery books, lyrics and catechisms. Flanders Heritage Library bundles the forces in the field of digitisation in Flemish heritage libraries, particularly of the six partners of Flanders Heritage Library, in a virtual Flemish heritage library, named Flandrica.be. The University of Antwerp (i.e. Special Collections of the University Library and the Library of the Ruusbroec Society) also regularly posts material from the collections on Flandrica.be.

The Short Title Catalogue Flanders (STCV) is an online database with extensive bibliographical descriptions of editions printed in Flanders in the 17th and 18th century. At present (30 April 2018) the database contains over 24.750 descriptions, based on some 47.252 copies from various important heritage collections, mainly in Flanders.

The STCV-project started in the year 2000. Since September 2009 the project is managed by the Flanders Heritage Library. The collection of the University of Antwerp Library was the first collection that had all its pre-1801 books printed in present-day Flanders included in the STCV bibliography. Since then, new additions have enriched the collections of the Special Collections and the Ruusbroec Society and will be added to the STCV shortly. . 

Registration of the Thijs Collection (2014-2018)

In 2014 the University of Antwerp purchased a remarkable collection of approximately 1,100 devotional prints and related texts from former Prof. A.K.L. Thijs, an expert in the field of images and printing in Antwerp in the 17th-19th centuries. This collection was described and digitized by January 1, 2018 and is available in a specially designed digital catalogue. On 2 March 2018 the project was presented at the seminar Van verzamelaars naar vorsers: collectiebeheer en onderzoek van erfgoedobjecten. Seminarie ter gelegenheid van de ontsluiting van de Collectie Thijs. Speakers were Trudi Noordermeer (University of Antwerp), Tom Deneire (University of Antwerp), Karen Bowen (University of Antwerp), Jeroen Salman (Utrecht University), Jan Corthouts (Anet), Els Veraverbeke (Huis van Alijn Museum), Veerle Fraeters (Ruusbroec Society). Apart from the seminar, those who attended could also visit a temporary exhibition. Read more.

Registration of the archives of the Royal Geographical Society of Antwerp (2012-2015)

In 2012 the University Library started a project for the scholarly registration of the archives of the Royal Geographical Society of Antwerp. Project member Lieselot Cornelis from the Special Collections did the inventory and the registration of about 9000 archival objects in a database. Later, the Anet library automatisation team converted this database to the archival module of our library system Brocade.In this module,you can search the different types of objects (letters, administration, documents and documentation), and equally consult the archival scheme of the KAGA (ISAD). Moreover, we have also started with the digitization of the most important objects.

http://anet.be/opac/opackagaobj/E

To better illustrate the famous people and the fascinating stories found in this archive, the Special Collections department created an online exhibition of this material under the title Geographical Initiatives in Antwerp. The initiative was tied up with the International Conference on the History of Cartography, which took place in Antwerp in July 2015 (ICHC 2015), and the exhibition series Antwerpen in de ban van de cartografie. Indeed, the KAGA itself is a result of this conference for cartography, which is illustrated in the exhibition in collaboration with the FelixArchief, which possesses the archives of the first Congrès International des Sciences géographiques, cosmographiques et commerciales (1871).

http://kaga.anet.be/omeka/geographical-initiatives-in-antwerp

Registration of the prints collection (2012-2014)

The collection of the University of Antwerp Library contains about 1350 prints in various techniques, in addition to other objects, related to Antwerp from between the 15th and 21st centuries. From 2012 to December 2014 the library hosted a major description and digitization project, which means everyone now has online access to these valuable prints. More information...

Rare book conservation project (2013-2014)

From March to October 2013 the University Library of Antwerp hosted a basic conservation project for the old prints. The aim of this project was a general inspection and basic conservation of the rare book collection of the Special Collections and the Library of the Ruusbroec Society. The books were taken from the shelves one by one, cleaned (dry cleaning), the damage was registered, the leather bindings were treated with leather dressing and finally simple first aid procedures were executed. The project was made possible through the financial support of a private sponsor, the M.E. Belpaire Society.

During this time no fewer than 1500 old prints were treated, by a team of people from the library staff, volunteers with some experience in book restoration and students of the paper restoration course at the Artesis University College Antwerp. Marijn De Valk, independent book restorer from Middelburg (The Netherlands) was responsible for the coordination of the project. At regular intervals a newsletter was published with updates on the project.

Now that the project has finished, the Special Collections maintain their efforts towards basic conservation of old prints. The department's staff and some volunteers continue with the registration of damage, cleaning the books and making book wraps. Other, more constructive or invasive procedures are not executed, unless under the supervision of a professional restorer. For more information, contact Tom Deneire or Elisabeth Zeuwts (basic conservation expert) and see our lecture and slides for SHARP 2014.