Prof. Jan Rudolf van Eerde (1774–1835)

Also professor of history. After De Rhoer’s death the office of librarian remained vacant for over two years. Then, Jan Rudolf van Eerde was appointed as the new librarian. Acting quickly, he arranged for a reading room with heating and opening hours on three weekdays. However, combining the duties of a librarian with his professorship turned out to be difficult. Van Eerde struggled to compose a new catalogue which was desperately needed to describe the library’s collection. The latter had grown to over 10,000 books. It took until 1833 for the catalogue to be printed. Van Eerde was also criticised for his management of the library, especially when it turned out that many books had been misplaced or had even gone missing. Consequently, opening hours were adhered to more strictly and the locks on the library doors were replaced. Students were not allowed to borrow books. This remained a privilege of professors and curators. When Van Eerde died in 1835, the library turned out to be in debt.