Lily Knibbeler appointed new IISH director
Lily Knibbeler has been appointed director of the International Institute of Social History, effective May 2026. Knibbeler is an historian with a long track record at the KB, National Library of the Netherlands, where she served as director general for the past ten years. She will succeed Leo Lucassen, who is retiring.
Under her leadership, the KB developed into a national library with a broad social purpose: to connect science, heritage, and public libraries. She united four institutions into a single powerful organisation and prioritised cooperation within networks. ‘With her academic background and experience in themes at the intersection of science and collections, Lily Knibbeler will be exceptionally well placed to contribute to the further development of the institute’s collections domain and its engagement with society, without losing sight of scientific research’ says Geert de Snoo, Director of Research Policy at the Royal Academy.
New challenge
Knibbeler is looking forward to her work at the IISH. ‘I’m drawn to environments where passionate individuals are committed to a higher purpose,’ she says. Her previous achievements show that science, heritage, information, and social value can converge in entirely new ways when collaboration is cross-institutional and value-driven. ‘My work at the IISH will also be a very exciting new challenge for me, given its outstanding scientific research and a collection that captures the diversity of the past. Both elements deserve to be nurtured and protected in every respect. Historical records help us understand many present-day trends, developments, and risks, and without the knowledge that they provide, we end up making far costlier mistakes,’ says Knibbeler.
Collaboration
Collaboration is a focal point in Knibbeler’s vision. ‘I believe that finding answers to the complex issues facing contemporary society requires closer collaboration than ever before. You may go faster alone, but you’ll definitely go much further by working with others. Fortunately, digitalisation is making cross-border collaboration easier than ever,’ she adds. She prefers to take a user-centric approach and always tries to involve users in projects at the earliest possible stage: ‘Co-creation isn't a buzzword to me, but a prerequisite: it obligates us to take others seriously and to have social impact.’ She is committed to continuing the IISH's valuable and socially relevant work – locally, nationally and internationally – in the decade ahead, especially given the increasingly turbulent social and scientific climate.
