The KDC manages over 1,600 archival collections, a library collection (in close cooperation with the University Library) and an audiovisual collection for the purpose of education and research on Catholic heritage. All collections relate to the lives of Catholics in the Netherlands from 1800 onwards. These collections are more than just religious heritage, they also include material from areas such as culture, leisure, politics, healthcare, welfare, charities, migration, colonial heritage, education and science.
Donate an archive to the KDC
Do you have documents, objects, books, magazines, printed matter, visual or audio material or other items that you would belong in any one (or more) of these areas of interest, and would you like to donate or give them for safekeeping to the KDC?
Then please read the following first.
- The archivist assesses whether or not an archive is suited for the KDC collection profile. Often a written or oral description by the archive owner can be sufficient enough for an assessment, sometimes a visual review is needed.
- The KDC maintains the archives of Catholic organisations and individuals, which have been of supra-local importance for the Catholic people's movement in the Netherlands. We discourage you from submitting archives that would be better suited in a local or regional archive depository.
- In general archives should be open for historical research. It is possible to set certain terms and conditions with the archivist.
- The archive donor is responsible for the transport of the archive to the KDC.
- Preferably the archive should be organised in advance by the owner. Learn more about how to handle this best.
Donation or custody?
Formally archives can be transferred in two ways:
- As a custody: the archive creator retains ownership of the archive. And when a researcher wants to study the archive, the archive owner must give their permission first. The KDC will act as an intermediary between researcher and archive owner.
- As a donation: in this case the KDC and Radboud University will become owner of the archive, making it directly available to the public and researchers. It is possible to arrange an embargo on certain records, for example: you can ask for some records to only be public after 20 years.
Read more details here in the draft document for donations and custody.
Note: The KDC accepts items for the library and audiovisual collections only as donations; a request for custody is not possible in these cases. The KDC monitors compliance with the European Copyright Law.
Downloads
Download these documents below for additional information.
Note: this content is in Dutch only. If you need any help with the translation or if you have any further questions? Please contact us.
- The collection specialist assesses whether or not an item is suited for the KDC collection profile. Often a written or oral description by the item's owner can be sufficient enough for an assessment, sometimes a visual review is needed.
- The KDC preserves exemplary examples of objects, printed matter, photographs, films, audiotapes and other audiovisual material based in the Catholic heritage of the Netherlands, since 1800.
- The provided item should be open for historical research.
- The item's owner is responsible for the transport of the archive to the KDC.
Donation
Unlike archives, the KDC only accepts audiovisual material as a donation. Custody is not a possible option. The KDC and Radboud University will become owner of the donated item. You can find a draft document for donations here.
The KDC monitors compliance with the European Copyright Law and the Privacy Law. Also, it makes sure that all items are described in the catalogue in a respectful and inclusive manner.
Acquisitions on temporally hold
Because of (current) limitations in personnel and resources, the KDC can only accept new items to the audiovisual collection in exceptional cases.
In practice this will mean that we do not accept these type of items at the current time:
- Holy cards or prayer cards
- Papal rewards or decorations
- Indulgences
- Diplomas and membership certificates of religious associations
- Educational wall posters with biblical representations
- Educational film strips (issued by Lumen or Projection Education Central for example)
- Toy altars or other liturgical toys
- (Framed) photographs of popes
- Photographs and postcards of church buildings
- Devotional drawings (framed or unframed)
If your item is not included in this list, please contact the KDC so the collection specialist can assess whether the item is suited to be added to the audiovisual collection.
The KDC can only make exceptions for items that are especially unique, that have a great special cultural-historical interest, or that have a direct correlation to an archive or item that is already present in the KDC collections.
Do you have any further questions? Please contact us.
- The librarian of the KDC assesses whether or not the offered publication is suited for the KDC collection profile. Often a written or oral description by the item's owner can be sufficient enough for an assessment, sometimes a visual review is needed.
- The KDC library only accepts material that fits the current collection profile: scholarly studies and popular publications, in the form of books, brochures and periodicals (magazines and annual publications), published for and by Dutch Catholics, from 1800 to the present.
- The publication are directly are directly publicly accessible and will be available for study in the heritage collections study room.
- The KDC does not accept duplicate copies. In general, if we already have one (or even several) copies of an issue, we will not accept them.
- Some types of publications we keep only exemplary (e.g. missals), so donations may be refused on this basis.
- The KDC always checks whether a ‘duplicate copy’ can still be accommodated elsewhere at a partner institution. If this is not possible, the donation is returned to the owner.
Donation
Unlike archives, publications are accepted into the library collection as donations. Custody is not a possible option. The KDC and Radboud University will become owner of the donated item. You can find a draft document for donations here.
Do you have any further questions? Please contact us.