Royal Library of the Netherlands
national library of the Netherlands
The KB National Library of the Netherlands (legal Dutch name: Koninklijke Bibliotheek [ˈkoːnɪŋkləkə ˌbiblijoːˈteːk] 'Royal Library', or KB [kaːˈbeː]) is the national library of the Netherlands, based in The Hague, founded in 1798.
The KB collects everything that is published in and concerning the Netherlands, from medieval literature to today's publications. About 7 million publications are stored in the stockrooms, including books, newspapers, magazines and maps. The KB offers digital services, such as the national online Library (with e-books and audiobooks), Delpher (millions of digitised pages) and The Memory (about 800,000 images). Since 2015, the KB has played a coordinating role for the network of the public library. The KB's collection of websites as hosted by the former Dutch internet provider XS4ALL is on the Unesco documentary world heritage memory of the world. It is the first web collection in the world that has been granted this status.
History
The initiative to found a national library was proposed by representative Albert Jan Verbeek on 17 August 1798. The collection would be based on the confiscated book collection of William V. The library was officially founded as the Nationale Bibliotheek (National Library) on November 8 of the same year, after a committee of representatives had advised the creation of a national library on the same day. The National Library was initially only open to members of the Representative Body.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Royal Library of the Netherlands” as national library of the Netherlands. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the places & architecture register because the source frames it as national library of the Netherlands. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 18, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1526131. VIAF identifies the subject as 102145970121932251120. The Library of Congress control number is n79130800. Authority coordinates are 52.082, 4.327. 2 of 5 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1798 and 2015.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Royal Library of the Netherlands”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Royal Library of the Netherlands primary sources, Royal Library of the Netherlands archive and Royal research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Royal Library of the Netherlands”?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Royal Library of the Netherlands” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.