On documenting Africa in the Netherlands

Almost ten years ago to the day I gave a talk at SCOLMA's 1992 annual general meeting on African documentation in the Netherlands, and possibilities for European cooperation. My talk focused on the Afrika-Studiecentrum (ASC) in Leiden and the work of the Library and Documentation Department. This talk, too, will focus on the Afrika-Studiecentrum. As the only research and documentation centre in the Netherlands devoted exclusively to Africa, the Afrika-Studiecentrum plays a pivotal role in Dutch African Studies and, as in 1992, I happen to work there, so it is what I know best. I would like to tell you something about the Afrika Studiecentrum's origins and objectives, its research programme and the work of the Library, Documentation and Information Department. I will say a bit about the library collection and acquisitions policy and go into somewhat more detail on a number of the activities we have undertaken over the past years to facilitate national and international access to African Studies resources, through the development of the ASC OPAC, through partnerships with commercial publishers, and through cooperation with other Africana libraries and documentation services. However, before moving on to talk about the ASC, I would first briefly like to describe a few of the other collections on Africa which exist in the Netherlands. This is no more than a quick bird's-eye view and is no way meant to be comprehensive.