Ghent University Library: “a” European Library

Amsterdam, September 16th 2013

Ghent university °1817

38.000 students5.500 researchers

11 faculties spread all over the city

great heritage collectionfrench revolution

19thC fin de siècle chief librarians

what’s the use of collecting if no one knows …

what’ s the use of taking care of it if you do not share

250.000 books were digitized by Google and see what can happen …

Montesquieu

July 19th 2012 Catherine Volpilhac-Auger Directeur de

l'édition des OEuvres complètes de Montesquieu

je me suis aperçue que vous possédiez son exemplaire de Conring, de habitus corporum germanicorum [?], qui a été

numérisé. 900000047166

I suppose this one has escaped from La Brède before the 20th century (no mark such as "Bibliotheca

bredensis" stamped on it - except perhaps on the back of the title page? it is a bit difficult to see it

clearly, but it doesn't really matter).

UB Gent can be proud of it: this copy of Conring is the only book of Montesquieu's library in

Château de La Brède (more than 3300 items) which has ever been digitalized... Hard to

believe, but it's true.

Vondel

mission

mission facilitating open knowledge creation

why did we join “the” european library ?

It is good to be even more visible It is good to have a network

It is good to have an efficient aggregation infrastructure