This page contains answers to the most frequently asked questions about IISH collections, archives, research and services.
General
Can I conduct research at the IISH / NEHA?
The International Institute of Social History (including the Press Collection of The Netherlands Institute for Sound & Vision) and the Netherlands Economic History Archive welcome everyone to the reading room to do their own research. In addition, we provide online access to large parts of the collection via our online catalogue. We want to create as few barriers as possible for people to use our collections.
Are there any costs associated with IISH services?
Access to the reading room and consulting the collections are free of charge. Written questions that can be answered quickly and easily are also part of this service.
Can I get a membership of the library?
It is not possible to become a library member. Access to the reading room and consulting the collections are free of charge. The IISH does not work with member passes. Visitors are asked once a year to agree to our terms of use.
What are the opening times of the reading room?
Monday to Thursday from 9 am to 5 pm. The Institute is closed on public holidays. No materials can be requested from the warehouses after 3 pm.
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How do I get to the IISH?
See Directions for how to get here by public transport or car.
Searching
Where can I find .....
You are currently viewing the IISH website, which contains general information about all IISH activities. Here you will find information about the institute, events, staff and activities.
You can also search our combined collections and research data here, via so-called linked data. This search function is still in an experimental phase.
Looking for a book, archive collection, poster or periodical? Then go to the catalogue. You can use the catalogue to reserve materials online. All material is stored in warehouses that are closed to the public at our Cruquiusweg location in Amsterdam. Requested materials are collected at four fixed intervals (9:30, 11:00, 13:00, and 15:00). The average waiting time is 30 minutes.
I am looking for a newspaper from the year ... Is it available at your library?
The IISH library has an extensive collection of Dutch newspapers. In the reading room you can also consult newspapers from the Press Collection of The Netherlands Institute for Sound & Vision (NIBG). The Press Collection does not hold entire volumes of newspapers but only special issues relevant to the newspaper’s history. A number of newspapers are only available on microfiche or microfilm. The originals of these newspapers are not available for inspection. You can make your own scans of the microfiches and microfilms. Bound newspapers can only be scanned on request. When searching for Dutch newspapers (articles), please always consult Delpher.nl first.
Have you sorted articles by subject?
Journal articles and book chapters are not described as separate items in the catalogue. You need to know which journal or newspaper may have contained certain information first and then request the relevant journal or newspaper to see if this is indeed the case.
Which archives are at the IISH/NEHA/NIBG Press Collection?
To see which archives are kept in our collection, please check the IISH catalogue. Entry points to more than 1,200 archives are available online in the form of lists and inventories.
Do you have any photographs/posters?
The Image & Sound collections guide contains descriptions of the audio-visual materials in our collections. Most of these materials are accessible through the catalogue and can be searched by, for instance, organisation, time, place and keyword. An overview of the keywords can be found on the Image & Sound collections page. Digitised images (low-resolution scans) of materials are displayed via this catalogue. In some cases, original materials can be viewed after consultation with a member of the Public Services department. This is done by appointment only.
Consulting
Can I reserve a certain book/periodical/archival document?
Books, brochures, serials, and archival documents can be requested online.
Can archival documents be viewed online?
The IISH manages more than 5,000 different archival collections. Of these, about ten percent (nearly 500 archives) can be consulted online. In addition, it is possible to order scans of materials that have not (yet) been digitised.
Are all archival documents accessible without restrictions?
In principle, most archives are available for research without restrictions. Some archives are not freely available for consultation. These are usually archives where there is a contractual stipulation that the donor or lender of the archive must give permission for consultation, scans and/or publication. This information can be found under the 'Consultation and use' tab of the archive in question.
The archival record I want to consult is restricted. How do I apply for permission to view these documents?
The IISG mediates in obtaining permission to view archives that are restricted. To view such archives, please submit a request to the Public Services department. Find the archive in question in the catalogue, select the relevant inventory numbers and click on 'Request'. In the subsequent screen you can fill out the permission form. Once permission has been granted, you are welcome to visit the IISH reading room to view the documents or you can ask us to make scans - subject to a charge.
Delivery
Can I borrow books?
The material at the IISH must be available to everyone. For this reason, we do not lend our items.
Can I take journals home?
Magazines and newspapers are not on loan. In most cases, however, scans can be made.
May I make photocopies from books and journals?
Library materials, provided they are in good condition and of dimensions up to A4, may be photographed or scanned. This is free of charge. You can also order scans. The scans will then be sent to you as PDFs after payment.
May I make photocopies of archival documents?
You are allowed to photograph or scan archive documents yourself. This is free of charge. You can also order scans. The scans will then be sent to you as PDFs after payment.
Can I commission research?
The service of the IISH is aimed at answering questions about the IISH collections, not at doing extensive research on request. However, the institute has contacts with historians who know the collections and can do research for you at a charge. For more information, please contact the Public Services department at ask@iisg.nl. Everyone is welcome to do their own research.
I have to write a paper, can you send me information on my subject?
The IISH does not provide information packages on order. Access to the reading room and viewing the collections are free for everyone. See the overview of archival collections and/or consult the IISH catalogue at search.iisg.amsterdam.
Ordering
Can I order digital scans of books/periodicals?
To order a scan, use the 'Order reproduction' button. You will find it next to the placement number in the online catalogue. Here, you can either request a quote first, or order and pay directly. Due to copyright regulations, it is not possible to order scans of books published less than 70 years ago.
How can I order scans of archival documents?
To order a scan, use the 'Order reproduction' button. You will find it next to the placement number in the online catalogue. Here you can indicate which inventory numbers or archive documents you would like scans of. You will first receive a quote, which you can then pay online.
Can I purchase posters shown on your website?
It is possible to order high resolution scans of posters.
Can I buy LP's?
The IISH is an archive institution. We do not sell LP’s from our collections. Due to copyright it is virtually impossible to have a copy made. You are welcome in our reading room to listen to LPs.
Can I exchange/buy buttons?
The IISH is an archive institution. We do not exchange or sell buttons from our collections. All our buttons can be viewed digitally in our online catalogue.
Is there copyright on photos/posters?
In most cases yes. The Institute is the manager of the photo an poster collections; it does not mediate in copyright matters.
The user is expected to be aware of all relevant legal regulations regarding copyright. The Institute is not liable for the use of material from its collections.See the IISH’s copyright statement here.
I found an old life insurance policy document. Is it still worth anything?
The answer to your question cannot be found at the IISH, but at De Nederlandsche Bank. For questions from the public about, for example, pensions, insurance policies, or exchanging banknotes and coins, please contact 0800 020 1068 (free). You can also send an e-mail to info@dnb.nl.
Have I built up a pension with my previous employer(s)?
Sometimes you no longer know whether you have built up a pension with a former employer or not. The answer to your question cannot be found at the IISH, but at De Nederlandsche Bank. For questions from the public about, for example, pensions, insurance policies, or exchanging banknotes and coins, please contact 0800 020 1068 (free). You can also send an e-mail to info@dnb.nl.
Can I come by to see Karl Marx's original Communist Manifesto?
No, unfortunately we do not have the opportunity to show visitors Marx's original writings. We do offer his archive, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, fully digitized in our catalogue. See Karl Marx / Friedrich Engels Papers.
I have a different question ...
The Public Services department will answer any questions about the collections (archives, books, periodicals). You can ask your question via ask@iisg.nl. Sometimes you will be referred to another authority.
