Otto Lankhorst spreekt het publiek toe van achter de katheder, naast hem staan de vijf delen van de BKNP.
Otto Lankhorst spreekt het publiek toe van achter de katheder, naast hem staan de vijf delen van de BKNP.

Launch of the latest BKNP opens up new possibilities for historical research

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On Thursday 25 June 2026, the fifth and final volume of the Bibliography of Catholic Dutch Periodicals (BKNP) was presented at Radboud University by editor-in-chief Otto S. Lankhorst. The completion of this extensive reference work marks the conclusion of a KDC research project that has been in progress since 1974. During an inspirational afternoon session, experts discussed the significance of the BKNP for historical research, digital heritage infrastructures and new AI applications.

Periodicals as vehicles for emancipation

José Sanders, rector magnificus of Radboud University, recognised how Catholic periodicals and the university were both part of a long-standing process of emancipation for Dutch Catholics. Previous generations felt a responsibility to use magazines to put new issues on the agenda, push boundaries and foster a sense of community. These values formed the foundation of Radboud University and remain significant to this day.

Integration in the updated Delpher

Sarah D'Huys of the Dutch Royal Library (KB) in The Hague explained how the descriptions from the BKNP will provide additional context in the new and updated version of Delpher. This is the Royal Library’s digital portal, which allows users to search the full text of millions of Dutch newspapers, magazines and books. ‘Users will have a better understanding of the sources they are searching, and the wealth of information in the BKNP will also reach other user groups,’ concluded D’Huys. 

Otto Lankhorst overhandigt een boek aan rector José Sanders. Zij lacht vriendelijk. Het publiek achter ze klapt.
Otto S. Lankhorst gives one of the first copies of BKNP vol. 5 to rector magnificus José Sanders. Photo by David van Haren.

New possibilities with Linked Open Data and AI

Anja Smit from DANS, the National Centre of Expertise and Repository for Research Data, demonstrated how the transition from an analogue to a digital dataset will make the BKNP accessible to research projects in the social sciences, humanities and heritage. She highlighted the possibilities for integrating the BKNP’s content with various platforms (including Delpher) via Linked Open Data. Finally, Smit also outlined future applications of the BKNP using AI and ML models. 

Webtool makes BKNP more visible 

Ruud van den Heuvel, Metadata Specialist at Radboud University, was able to provide a concrete example of this. For the past three months, he has been working on the development of a web tool that allows users to search through all the descriptions in the BKNP and reveal new connections. Together with Master’s students Emma Zijp and Jetze Boon, he gave a brief demonstration of the pilot version. Those present were inspired by the possibilities this new way of searching the BKNP offers for historical research.

Twee studenten geven een presentatie achter de katheder. De student rechts houdt een microfoon vast.
Master's students Emma Zijp en Jetze Boon give a demonstration of the webtool. Photo by David van Haren.

Researching with the BKNP 

Has this sparked your curiosity and would you like to start browsing through BKNP Volume 5 (or the other volumes) straight away? If so, follow one of the links below to access a digital and/or physical version of the BKNP.

The web tool mentioned earlier is still in the pilot phase and is expected to become available in the course of 2027. 

Download BKNP

Order BKNP

An in-depth interview with editor-in-chief Otto S. Lankhorst will appear in the next issue of Impressie 2026-38.

Contact information

Organizational unit
Catholic Documentation Centre
Theme
History, Media & Communication, Language

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tekening van een huis met op het dak de tekst 'katholieken lezen enkel katholieke dagbladen en tijdschriften'

An inspirational afternoon exploring the world of Catholic periodicals. A celebratory conclusion to the BKNP

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On 25 June 2026, the Catholic Documentation Centre (KDC) is organising a book launch and an afternoon of inspiration to mark the completion of the Bibliography of Catholic Dutch Periodicals (BKNP) at Radboud University in Nijmegen.

Rood vaandel hangt in het trappengat van de hal van de universiteitsbibliotheek.

Artwork “Ongehoorzaam” by Frida Berntsen transferred to the KDC

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In 2025, Frida Berntsen was artist-in-residence at Radboud University’s heritage collections. She researched trade union banners and old herbariums. Drawing inspiration from these, she created two banners and a flag for the university.

Mensen bekijken tentoonstelling in de bibliotheek.

Photos from a colonial context are given a new voice. A recap of 'Glimpses of Colonialism'

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On 24 April, the public talk about ‘Glimpses of Colonialism’ took place at the City Library in Nijmegen. The pop-up exhibit draws attention to the hidden stories behind missionary photos from Suriname and Indonesia, taken from the KDC collections.