Frequently Asked Questions
If you can't find an answer to your question, please go to Enquiries.
General- Can I conduct research at the IISG / NEHA / Persmuseum?
- Do I have to pay for services?
- Do I need to show my identity card?
- Can I request that someone at the IISH do some research for me?
- What are your opening hours?
- How can I get to the IISH's offices in Amsterdam?
- Must I be a member to use the library?
- How can I find a particular book in the library?
- Is it possible to reserve material in advance?
- I'm looking for a newspaper from a specific year. How can I find out if you have it?
- Can I borrow books?
- Can I borrow issues of journals to take home?
- Can I photocopy pages from books and journals?
- Do you have a subject index of articles?
- Can I order photocopies of books or periodicals by mail / email?
- I ordered photocopies; how do I pay for them?
- Which archival collections are held by the IISH?
- I found some interesting documents; is it possible to read them online?
- Are all collections accessible without restrictions?
- I notice there is restricted access for viewing some papers I would like to research - how do I get such access?
- Can I photocopy archival documents?
- How can I order photocopies of archival documents?
- I ordered photocopies; how can I pay for them?
- Do you have any photographs / posters in your collections?
- Are your photographs / posters copyright protected?
- Can I purchase posters shown on your website?
- Can I purchase records listed on your website?
- My grandfather fought in the Spanish Civil War. Can you find any information about him in your collections?
- I found an old life insurance policy/ funeral documents. How can I tell if it is still valid?
- How can I trace information about a (former) Dutch pension fund?
- I have another question ...
General
- Can I conduct research at the IISG / NEHA / Persmuseum?
Anyone who wants to engage in research in archival collections and use the library of the International Institute of Social History, Netherlands Economic History Archive (NEHA), and Persmuseum is welcome to the reading room. - Do I have to pay for services?
Access to the reading room and consulting the collection is free of charge. Answering simple written queries is also part of this service. - Do I have to submit my identity card?
On first arrival researchers need to sign in and agree to a set of rules about use of the collections. On each subsequent visit researchers are asked to sign our guestbook. Anyone who wants to engage in research in archival collections of the IISH, NEHA, and Persmuseum is welcome to the reading room. - Can I ask you to do research for me?
Public Services is responsible for library and archival collections services at the International Institute of Social History (IISH), the Netherlands Economic History Archive (NEHA), and Persmuseum [Dutch press museum].
Everyone is welcome to conduct research in the reading room.
We do not carry out research.
See the Index of Archives or search the online catalogue. - What are your opening hours?
The reading room is open from Monday till Friday from 9:00 till 17:00. No requests for material from stacks will be handled after 4 p.m. The Institute is closed on Dutch public holidays and memorial days, see for 2009. - How can I get to the IISH?
See www.iisg.nl/address.php#route for how to get here by public transport or car.
Library
- Must I be a member to use the library?
On first arrival researchers need to sign in and agree to a set of rules about use of the collections. On each subsequent visit researchers are asked to sign our guestbook. We do not provide general library passes.
Anyone who wants to use the library of the IISH, NEHA, and Persmuseum is welcome to the reading room. - How can I find a book in the library?
The catalogue holds records of all books, booklets, and periodicals in the libraries of the IISH, NEHA, and Persmuseum. The catalogue includes descriptions of items from the image and sound collections.
All other documents, books, periodicals, and archival collections are stored in closed-access stacks and cannot be browsed by the public. Request forms must be filled in to request documents. The average waiting time is 30-60 minutes. - Is it possible to reserve material in advance?
It is possible to order books and periodicals from stacks in advance. Telephone requests cannot be processed. Please send an email, at least 24 hours before your visit, to with your name, title of book or serial, call number, and date of your planned visit. For serials please also include the years. It is possible to order up to 3 items in advance. - I'm looking for a newspaper of a specific year. Do you hold it?
The library holds an extensive collection of newspapers.
Please check the catalogue to see if the newspaper you're looking for is available. For reasons of conservation some journals and periodicals are only available on films or microfiches. Reading and printing equipment for consulting films and microfiches is available. - Can I borrow books?
In general, all items of the library should be available at all times to each visitor of the reading room. This means we do not lend out many publications. Only monographs in good physical condition, but not older than 20 years, may be borrowed.
Items that are not lent out are: booklets, series, enquiries, annual reports, congress reports, yearbooks, memorial books, dissertations, rare books, reference works, reading room books, newspapers, journals and archival documents.
Borrowing privileges are extended only after presenting an identity card and a recent document that identifies a current address in the Netherlands (such as a recent bank statement). Up to 3 books may be borrowed for a maximum of 3 weeks. - Can I take journals home?
Journals and newspapers can not be borrowed; it is often possible to order photocopies. - Can I photocopy books and journals?
All standard sized (up to size A4) library material in good condition can be copied on a self-service photocopier in the reading room.
For all other requests, please complete an order form at the information desk - the reproductions can be mailed to your home address.
See our rates. - Do you have a subject index of articles?
Journal articles and chapters in books are not listed in the catalogue. To access these, you will need to use an index or database to explore the content of journals or books, and search the catalogue for the journal or book in which the article appears.
Online available databases are Labour History Serials Service (serials in the field of labour history); Viva Database (contains records describing articles published on women's history).
In the reading room you have access to Historical Abstracts. - Can I order photocopies of books or periodicals by mail / email?
It is possible to order reproductions by mail, fax (+ 31 20 66 303 49) or by using the form Enquiries. Besides the costs for reproductions we will also charge you with postage for sending the photocopies. You will be sent an invoice with instructions for payment. - I ordered photocopies, how can I pay for it?
An invoice with payment instructions how to pay will be sent separately from the photocopies.
Archive
- Which archival collections are held by the IISH?
Use the index to 2,800 archives and collections to see which collections are kept by the Institute. Over 1000 lists and inventories of archival collections are currently available on-line.
At the reading room you can also research collections of the NEHA and Persmuseum. See Special collections of NEHA.
Go to Persmuseum, see 'Collectie' and 'Archieven'.
For reasons of conservation some archival documents are only available on films and microfiches. Reading and printing equipment can be used in the reading room. - I found some interesting documents, can I read them online?
The IISH holds over 3,000 archives and collections, all together over 14 kilometer of paper; it is not possible to put all these documents online, they can only be consulted in the reading room. Often it is possible to order photocopies of documents. - Are all collections accessible without restrictions?
Most archives are accessible without any restrictions for research.
Donors and owners of material on loan to the Institute may, however, impose certain restrictions about accessing, copying, and publishing these collections or parts of collections, including a requirement for expressly requesting permission of the donor or owner.
To find out if access to a collection is limited, see the brief descriptions of the relevant archives. - Consultation of papers I would like to research is restricted - how do I get access
The Institute intermediates in requiring permission from the archive creator to get access to collections with limited or restricted access.
For requesting permission to consult such a collection, please submit a written request stating the nature of your study. This may be done using the Restricted Access Archives form.
When permission is granted you are welcome to the reading room to consult the documents. - Can I photocopy archival documents?
For preservation reasons it is not allowed to make photocopies of archive and manuscript materials by yourself. For reproductions from archival documents, please complete the order form at the information desk and fill out a statement - the reproductions can be mailed to your home address. - How can I order photocopies of archival documents?
In order to receive some reproductions of archival documents, for research purposes only, you need to sign a statement.
Print this statement, fill it in, and send a signed copy of this statement by mail or fax (+ 31 20 66 303 49). Upon receipt of this statement, the reproductions will be made and sent to you.
An invoice will be sent separately - see our rates.
Please note: Before ordering reproductions of archival documents, please check the available on-line finding aids of archival collections. See Index of Archives. Access to some archival collections may be restricted. - I ordered photocopies, how can I pay for them?
An invoice with instructions how to pay will be sent separately from the photocopies.
Audiovisual Collections
- Do you have any photographs / posters in your collections?
In the collection guide to the Image and Sound Collections you will find a survey of the image and sound collections held by the IISH.
Most of the image and sound collections are accessible through our search portal search.iisg.nl and can be searched by organization, date, location, or subject. There is a subject index in the thesaurus.
Digitized copies, low resolution scans only, of visual documents can be viewed by using our search portal. - Are your photographs / posters copyright protected?
The Institute is the safe keeper of collections and does not intermediate in questions about copyrights held by third parties. The Institute accepts no liability whatsoever arising from the use of its materials. Users are responsible for conforming to all relevant statutory provisions concerning copyright. - Can I buy posters depicted on your website?
IISH is a documentary institute with a library and an archive - we don't sell from our collections.
However, it is possible to order high resolution scans of posters - see Services. - Can I buy records listed on your website?
We do not sell from our collections, however, it is possible to order reproductions - see for more information Services and Collections.
Other
- My grandfather fought in the Spanish Civil War - can you find any information about him in your collections?
A Guide to the Spanish Civil War Collections provides a survey of all primary source materials on the Spanish Civil War at the IISH. This guide is an index to collections consisting of hundreds of files and thousands of documents. Unfortunately, due to a lack of personnel, the IISH reading room staff is in no position to search for personal information or documentation about individuals. If you wish to consult the archival materials you're welcome in the reading room. If, after consulting the inventories, you've found documents of interest, it is possible to order some reproductions, for research purposes only. See FAQ no. 22 for procedure and rates. - I have found an old life insurance / funeral policy - is it still valid?
Information on Dutch insurers can be found at the website of the Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) - www.dnb.nl/dnb/home/over_dnb/veelgestelde_vragen/
vragen_over_verzekeringen/nl/46-150332-64.html - How can I trace information about (former) Dutch pension funds?
At the site of the Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) you'll find a 3-step plan that helps you to find information on Dutch pension funds - see www.dnb.nl/dnb/home/over_dnb/veelgestelde_vragen/
vragen_over_pensioenen/nl/46-150320-64.html - I have another question ...
Please go to Enquiries for questions about the collections of the IISH, NEHA and related subjects. If we do not have an answer to your question, we will try to refer you to another institution or specialist.