News archive
Category: Special Collections
Maastricht psychology students bring rare books to Wikipedia
Once again this year, psychology students at Maastricht University are bringing rare and fascinating books out of the stacks and onto Wikipedia.
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Opening up university treasures: The ‘Open Topstukken’ Project
Maastricht University (UM) and Radboud University (RU) joined forces to bring their most remarkable heritage objects into the digital spotlight. Through the Open Topstukken Project, both universities digitised and shared 15 key objects each from their collections around 4 shared themes, making them accessible, findable and reusable to researchers, students, and the public worldwide.
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Looking back: Butterflies through the eyes of science and art
During the Weekend van de Wetenschap (Weekend of Science), visitors were invited into the wonderful world of butterflies at Tapijn. The University Library participated with the activity “Butterflies through the eyes of science and art”, where science, art, and history beautifully came together to inspire both young and old.
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Looking back: Heiligdomsvaart 2025 | Guided tours and cultural performances
During Heiligdomsvaart 2025, Maastricht University Library took part in the city-wide celebrations by hosting a unique program centered on the rich religious and cultural heritage of Maastricht. The Special Collections played a key role, with events that were not only fully booked but also warmly received by attendees.
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Call for performers | Culture & creativity @Dominicanen
Step into the spotlight at the Dominicanen Bookshop during Heiligdomsvaart 2025 and let your performance be inspired by rare treasures from the Maastricht University Special Collections.
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Faculty of Science and Engineering: Investigating book materials with microscopy
As part of the student project Level 2000, at the Maastricht Science Programme, a selection of damaged books of the Special Collections was examined to better understand and manage foxing, which are brown stains that could threaten the integrity of many books. Handling these books provides information about their creation and history. Paper, glue and ink indicate when the book was created, while damage can reveal more about its history.
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New acquisition for our Special Collections: Marlene Dietrich portrait by Charles Eyck
We are excited to announce a significant addition to our Special Collections at Maastricht University Library: an original portrait of Hollywood icon Marlene Dietrich, created in 1945 by celebrated Limburg artist Charles Eyck. This acquisition enriches our already extensive Charles Eyck collection and highlights a unique historical connection between Dietrich, Maastricht, and the liberation of the Netherlands during World War II.
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University Library Maastricht achieves successful digital integration for enhanced heritage access
In 2023, Maastricht University (UM) Library joined the NDE Versnellen grant program, a Dutch initiative that supports heritage institutions in making their digital collections more accessible and interconnected. Through this project, the library implemented advanced digital functionality (with IIIF) in their existing Omeka S system (software platform for digital collections), allowing rich metadata access, public availability, and compliance with national heritage standards.
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Maastricht University students publish reviews of historical books on Wikipedia
Eleven insightful reviews of rare books from Maastricht University’s (UM) Special Collections have been added to Wikipedia, thanks to the contributions of students from a specialised course.
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Wikimedia Commons Celebrates 20th Anniversary with Media Donations: Maastricht University Library Contributes 13 digitised Special Collections books
On 7 September, Wikimedia Commons marks its 20th anniversary, a milestone celebrated by a call for media donations from various institutions. In response, the University Library is proud to contribute 13 digital books from its Special Collections.
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