Farewell to ASCL's Head of the Library Jos Damen

The African Studies Centre Leiden is saying farewell to its esteemed Head of the Library, Documentation, and Information Department (LDI) Jos Damen. After having dedicated his expertise and passion to the ASCL and particularly its library (now known as the African Library) since 2006, Damen is retiring. In addition to his library work, Damen was responsible for ICT support services, was a member of the ASCL’s Executive Board, and vice-director of the ASCL for many years. He is also known for his strong advocacy for open access information.

When he applied for the job, Damen was honest about his limited knowledge of Africa, as he relates in an interview with LeidenGlobal. Damen had studied Dutch Language and Literature in Leiden and worked as a high school teacher, as a journalist, in the military and at Leiden University’s library. His lack of knowledge about Africa did not stop him from getting the job.

Jos Damen has become passionate about making  African knowledge more accessible to a wider audience. During his time at the ASCL, he focused on three key areas. The first is organising acquisition trips for library staff to Africa in order to buy hundreds of books. He thinks it’s essential to get information directly from Africa, and to hear African voices more clearly. Secondly, he was eager to build a good digital library in order to make information as widely accessible as possible. And thirdly, he is proud of the collection of films that are available at the African Library. The ASCL regularly organises African Film Nights for students and staff.

Read the full interview with Jos Damen!

A farewell reception in honour of Jos Damen will take place on Thursday 27 March. Anyone who has enjoyed working with him in the past or more recently is welcome to join us.

Date: Thursday 27 March
Time: 16:00-18:00
Location: Herta Mohr (Witte Singel 27A, Leiden University, 2311 BG Leiden), Common Room of the ASCL offices (opposite room 0.49).

Photos: 
Left: Jos Damen at 'Lecture Brewster Kahle about the Internet Archive & Copyright', 18 March 2025. Telderszaal, Academy Building (Leiden). Credit: Vera de Kok, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Right: Erasmus Prize 2015, awarded to the Wikipedia community by Stichting Praemium Erasmianum on 25 November 2015. Left to right: Jos Damen, Max Sparreboom, Queen Máxima. Credit: John Turing for Stichting Praemium Erasmianum, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.