Certification of the digital repository

The CoreTrustSeal is the most used form of certification for digital repositories. The digital repository of the KB received this certification on 18 June 2021. The list below contains links to all publicly available documentation to support the 16 criteria that need to be met to get the CoreTrustSeal. Some of these documents serve as evidence for multiple criteria.Archiving materials is one of the core tasks of the KB. We don’t just want to do our work as well as we can, we also want to document everything properly. Especially when it comes to our digital repository. CoreTrustSeal certification is one of the ways to demonstrate that we comply with the basic standards for preserving digital objects long term. 

1. The KB is the national library of the Netherlands. Driven by the power of the written word, we further intellectual development, proficiency and creativity in the Netherlands. Every four years, a strategic plan is formulated setting priorities for the organisation. Strategic Plan 2019-2022 (pdf) (R1, R5)
2. The KB has been a source of inspiration and growth for centuries. Founded in 1798 as a small library for public representatives, we grew to become a versatile library with a broad scope. Organization and policy (R1)
3. Detailed information on the organisation, funding and responsibilities of the KB regarding its collections is stipulated in the Higher Education and Research Act (valid from 1992 up to the present day). Higher Education and Research Act (pdf) (R1, R5)
4. In addition to the above, structural funding for the long term preservation activities of the KB has been secured as confirmed by the Minister. For more information see the recommendation letter: Letter OCW (pdf) (R5)
5. In its 2019-2022 content strategy, the KB sets out strategic priorities for the growth of its digital collection during this period. The content strategy specifies which publications the KB includes in its e-Depot. The e-Depot contains the Dutch National Library Collection of born-digital publications from, and about, the Netherlands, and international publications consisting of born-digital scholarly articles. The content strategy also specifies how the KB offers access. Content strategy 2019-2022 (pdf) (R1, R2, R8, R12)
6. The KB strives to have a complete Dutch heritage collection in the Depot of Dutch Publications. However due to limited processing capacity, a number of categories are excluded. Admission criteria have been set for this. Selection criteria National Deposit Collection (R2)
7. The Deposit Library for Dutch Publications was established in 1974 to preserve the published output of the Netherlands as part of the Dutch cultural heritage. Read more about the agreements that apply for publishers who want to make use of our services. Deposit Library for Dutch Publications (R2, R3)
8. All strategic, tactical and operational documents that form part of our preservation policy can be found on our Preservation policy page.
9. An overview of the rules and regulations that apply to our services is collected on this page. Conditions of use (R2, R11, R13)
10. We have a complaints procedure in place. It states what rights customers have and which steps need to be followed after filing a complaint. Complaints procedure (pdf) (In Dutch only) (R2)
11. The Keepers registry publishes information on which serials are archived by whom within the network of participating organisations. Keepers (R13)
12. The KB functions as the registration agency for organisations that assign NBNs within the Netherlands. Information on which organisations are registered, which principles apply and which standard of quality should be adhered to is collected on this page. NBN registration (In Dutch only) (R13)
13. The metadata for our repository is also available via OAI-PMH. The base url for harvesting is: OAI-PMH (R13)
14. Metadata is also searchable via API through the SRU protocol. This service can be found at: SRU (R13)
15. Users can search and view metadata in our Online Public Catalogue. KB-catalogue (R13)
16. Serials are searchable via a different catalogue. Available at: Inter Library Loans catalogue (R13)
17. A subset of our digital material is also available for re-use by third parties via data services. An overview of which sources and data sets are available can be found here: Data services & APIs (R13)
18. A summary of our security policy is made available for the public. For security reasons the complete policy is kept as an internal document. Summary security policy (pdf) (R16)