Discover the subject collections at the library

The Ancient History, Classics, and Archaeology collections can be found on the 14^th floor. The books can only be consulted in the library and cannot be borrowed.

This multidisciplinary theme collection on Environmental Humanities and SDG 13 (Climate Action) can be found in room 13B04, located in the library on the 13^th floor. The collection has been curated in collaboration with the Environmental Humanities Center. Students and staff from the EHC regularly use this room for meetings and events. When the room is not in use by the EHC, all students are welcome to study and meet in this room and browse the collection.

View the entire collection here. The books can be borrowed via the self-service station on the 11^th floor.

The Linguistics and Literature collections can be found on the 12^th floor. The reference works can only be consulted in the library and cannot be borrowed. Books from the self-service collections can be borrowed via the self-service station on the 11^th floor.

What is mindfulness? How can we explain the current ‘mindfulness boom’? And what religious traditions make use of meditation? Browse this book collection on the 12^th floor about mindfulness and personal growth to find the answer to these and other questions. The collection has been curated in collaboration with the Faculty of Religion and Theology. The collection also benefited from a donation of books on Buddhism by Het Nederlands Boeddhistisch Archief.

The books can be borrowed via the self-service station located next to the bookcases. You can find the physical book collection here. Prefer reading online? Then check out the digital collection.

The Pride Library makes scholarly literature on LGBTQIA+ topics accessible and visible. In addition to academic works, you will find hundreds of fiction and non-fiction rainbow books. You can borrow the books using the self-service station on the 11th floor or use them in the library. View the collection. 

This library space also serves as a meeting spot for the queer community. For news and upcoming events, visit the VU Pride website.  

On the 11th floor you can find the Decolonisation Lab which is founded and run by de VU Diversity Office. In collaboration with the Diversity Office, VU staff and study association F.A.M., the library curated a collection for the lab on colonialism and slavery and the current debate on decolonisation of universities. View the entire collection here.

Here you can find more information about how the library works towards a more inclusive library environment.

The collections for Theology and Religious Studies and Philosophy can be found on the 10^th floor (access through the 9^th floor). Near the entrance of the study room is a special section devoted to recent acquisitions (view the recent aqcuisitions here). The reference works can only be consulted in the library and cannot be borrowed. Books from the recent acquisitions and self-service collections can be borrowed via the self-service station on the 9^th floor.

On the 10^th floor you can find a theme collection of books covering many facets of Ukrainian literature, culture, and history (access through the 9^th floor). This collection has been created over the course of 2023. In that year, the Ukrainian embassy in The Netherlands reached out to Dutch universities, seeking support for Ukrainian university libraries affected by Russia’s war against Ukraine. Responding to this call, the VU Library donated books from the fields of Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics to the Central Scientific Library at Kharkiv. The donation comprised duplicates from the VU Library’s own collection and books from VU researchers’ private collections. Several other Dutch universities have also extended their support to Ukrainian universities. To highlight these partnerships, the VU Library, with help from Ukrainian librarians, has curated this collection.

The books can be borrowed through the self-service station on the 9^th floor. View the physical collection here or browse through our ebooks on this theme.

The collections for Cultural Studies, History, and Art History can be found on the 9^th floor. The reference works can only be consulted in the library and cannot be borrowed. Books from the self-service collections can be borrowed via the self-service station on the 9^th floor.

On the 9^th floor you can find the recent issues of print journals for Humanities and Theology and Religious Studies. Lift the shelves to find the most recent issues of the journal. Older issues can be requested from the stack rooms through LibSearch.

The Business Administration and Public Administration collections can be found on the 7th floor. Books from these collections can be borrowed using the self-service station.

The general reference works can be consulted in the study and learning environment on the 5th floor, but are not available for borrowing.

Two special collections have been assembled for the John Stuart Mill College: the Core Collection and Staff Picks. The first encompasses a selection of works by important thinkers in Philosophy, Politics and Economics. The second collection features a compilation of book recommendations from PPE faculty members. The books from these collections are available for borrowing.

Please note: the John Stuart Mill College space is accessible only to students of this program. Would you like to borrow a book from the collection? Reserve it through LibSearch so you can pick it up in the library space on the first floor.

At VU we believe the dissemination of our shared knowledge leads to large positive effects and benefits for society. Browse the physical book collection and online book collection for more information about the Open Science movement.

On the first floor of the University Library, you'll find exam literature for all fields (except for medical), alongside our curated selection of pivotal works, known as the Books of Importance.

VU's Special Collections are also housed in the University Library. Are you interested in old prints and manuscripts, or would you like to consult the collection of maps and atlases? To access these materials, simply reserve the desired items via LibSearch. The material will be available for viewing the next working day at 09:00.

VU is committed to advancing the sustainability goals of the United Nations. As part of this commitment, the University Library has curated multiple collections on the first floor, each shedding light on a specific theme from diverse perspectives and historical periods. How does your field of study contribute to SDG 3: Health and Well Being? Or to SDG 5: Gender Equality? On the bookshelves against the walls of this study room you’ll find seven multidisciplinary book collections on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) that align most with VU’s ambitions.

SDG-2: Zero Hunger
SDG-3: Good Health and Well-being
SDG-4: Quality Education
SDG-5: Gender Equality
SDG-9: Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure
SDG-10: Reduced Inequalities
SDG-11: Sustainable Cities & Communities

In the study area of the Initium, you'll find the collection Law. The books can be borrowed using the self-service station.

In addition to exam literature and the medical collection, you'll also find the collection GGZ Ingeest here.

Here you'll find the subject collection Dentistry. Visit the website for more information about the ACTA library.