Trash or Treasure? Ephemera in the Leiden Middle Eastern Special Collections

What is it about?

This essay examines the presence of ephemera and grey literature within the Leiden University Library collections. Written in honour of the departing curator of the Oriental collections, Arnoud Vrolijk, it highlights several collections in which he played a pivotal role —whether through active acquisition or by increasing their scholarly visibility. Using these specific collections as a point of departure, the article ultimately raises broader, more fundamental questions about librarianship. When do we categorize materials as ephemeral, and who determines what is worth preserving for future generations? What challenges arise when acquiring items that do not fit neatly into conventional formats such as 'books' or 'journals'? And in what ways do the growing volumes of born-digital material further complicate an already intricate landscape?

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Photo by franko ro on Unsplash

Photo by franko ro on Unsplash

Why is it important?

The significance of this article lies in its emphasis on non‑mainstream and underrepresented collections. Increasingly, a small number of major content providers—such as Elsevier and EBSCO—shape the core of academic library holdings. One might expect that unique materials, including, but not limited to, ephemera, grey literature, and the personal archives of scholars, would counterbalance this move towards homogenization. In practice, however, ephemeral materials continue to occupy a marginal position, much as they always have. If libraries wish to avoid becoming mere extensions of dominant publishing platforms—digital hubs that offer access to large, uniform collections replicated across institutions—they must devote greater attention to acquiring and safeguarding distinctive, locally produced artefacts. This includes the ephemeral materials generated within the university itself, which hold particular value precisely because of their uniqueness and irreplaceability.

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