Info about the lecture (2 December 2021)
The year 2021 is nearly finished. Before the start of a new year, it gives us immense pleasure to reconnect with you and organise this online “Learn & Connect” meeting on December 2nd at 7pm, organised with the alumni circle of South Limburg.

During this meeting, UM-alumnus Odin Essers will take you back in time. Odin will give a short and inspiring lecture about the background and the content of the Special Collections, held by the Maastricht University Library.

Program
19.00h – Opening by Alumni Committee South Limburg
19.10h – Lecture from alumnus Odin Essers about the Special Collections of Maastricht University
19.30h – Questions
19.40h – Networking
20.00h – Closing

Background: Special Collections of Maastricht University
The Maastricht University Library holds various special collections of major significance. They are used by university staff for teaching and research, but they are also available to the general public. The so-called ‘Jesuits Library’ is UM Library's most important special collection, comprising some 250,000 volumes, mainly in the fields of philosophy, history, anatomy, literature, theology, law and social sciences (sociology, psychology, anthropology, economics). The oldest books date from the 15th century, the most recent ones from the 1970s. In this sense, it is a broad humanities collection, offering a range of starting points for the research and teaching activities of the different faculties of Maastricht University. Some of the library’s special collections have direct links to the province of Limburg and its history, such as the personal library of Maastricht poet Pierre Kemp and the documentation collection of painter Charles Eyck.

Ambitions
Research-based teaching projects as part of the Wikipedia Education Program (publication), linking collection items to Wikidata to improve visibility and accessibility, contributing to and organising (online) exhibitions, livestreams, (international) conferences and events (Spoken Word, Museumnacht), and virtual initiatives such as the HistoBistro podcast. This is only a selection of the activities with which UM Library stimulates the use of UM’s Special Collections. UM Library opts for open collaboration with all its partners and target groups inside and outside the university, in a (technologically) innovative and sustainable way. This approach has led to several successful projects. The ambitions for the coming years are laid down in the Special Collections Policy Plan 2020 – 2026.