The Hendrik Consciene Heritage Library offers a quiet place to study and read, right in the city centre. The library has collected and preserved Flemish cultural heritage in manuscript and print spanning more than five centuries, making it a major research library for anyone wishing to dig into Antwerp's history, Dutch en Flemisch literature or the history of Flanders. In the reading room you can request and browse the library's impressive collection totalling more than 1.5 million volumes. These include manuscripts, early editions, historical newspapers and magazines, als well as contemporary books and periodicals up to the most recent publications.
However, the Heritage Library's must-see venue is its historical Nottebohm Room, situated in the oldest part of the library and considered one of the most beautiful library rooms. Besides being a book storage facility and exhibit space, the Room is also the library's treasury where some of the highlights from the collections are kept on permanent display.
