Contact

Travel tips & general info

Practical information
for the conference days

PLEASE NOTE: All times are local time in the Netherlands (24-hour clock). The clocks go back one hour in the night from Saturday 24 to Sunday 25 October (03:00 becomes 02:00, daylight saving time ends). Most phones adjust automatically, but please check your watch or alarm.

IMPORTANT: The welcome dinner on Sunday and the excursions (The Hague and Rotterdam) can only be attended if you registered for them in advance. Walk-in is not possible, and we can no longer add participants at the last minute. Please check your personal programme carefully; we will verify your registration against our guest lists.

YOUR PROGRAMME

Your personal programme follows the sessions you chose in the registration form. You received a summary of it by email. Everything else, such as the keynotes, walks and open parallel sessions, is open to all participants. The programme on our website serves as a general guide for the timing.

NOT ATTENDING THE SESSIONS?

If you indicated “not attending yet”, you are free to network outside the session rooms. You may also join a session if there is still space once everyone who pre-registered has arrived.

At OBA Next Kraaiennest in Amsterdam space is very limited; the central reception area (the Atrium) also serves as a session space. We therefore ask for your flexibility, and we will direct you to a spot where you can stay while not attending a session.

REGISTRATION AND BADGES

Please have your ticket ready on your phone or printed out when you arrive at the registration desk. We will scan it, and you will receive your badge and lanyard.

On all days, please wear your badge on your lanyard visibly when you arrive: our check-in in Utrecht starts before the library opens to the public, and the badge shows that you are part of the conference.

SUNDAY 25 OCTOBER – UTRECHT

Excursion to The Hague:

• 12:15: start registration in the Grand Hall (Bibliotheek Utrecht, Neude 11)

• 12:45: we gather and walk together to the boarding point at Janskerkhof

• 13:00: departure of the bus

• 17:00: the bus leaves The Hague and takes you back to Utrecht, arriving around 18:00, in time for the welcome drink

Welcome dinner (all participants who registered for it, with or without the excursion):

• 18:00: registration, with a welcome drink at Meneer Potter

• 18:45: start of the dinner, accompanied by live music

• 20:30: end of the evening

• No specific dress code, come as you are


MONDAY 26 OCTOBER – AMSTERDAM

Location: OBA Oosterdok (morning programme) and OBA Next Kraaiennest (afternoon programme); addresses can be found at the programme page.

Today you travel on your own responsibility. Please arrange your own journey to, from and within Amsterdam.

• 09:00: registration (desk opens at 08:45)

• 09:30: start of the programme

• After lunch, travel to OBA Next Kraaiennest: walk back to Amsterdam Central Station and take metro line 53 towards Gaasperplas, getting off at Kraaiennest. The library is directly on your left.

• Public transport in Amsterdam is punctual, so check departure times and leave in good time. Plan your journey with the NS Journey Planner and GVB. Allow around 40 minutes of travel time to OBA Next Kraaiennest.

• The afternoon walks in Amsterdam and the TUMO workshop are optional and walk-in. Groups are formed on the spot in order of arrival, so be on time if you’d like to join. The final group departs no later than 14:45, to be back in time for the 15:45 sessions. If you arrive after that, you are welcome to join us at OBA Next Kraaiennest.

• If you are not joining a walk or the workshop, please be at OBA Next Kraaiennest by 15:30, in time for the first session at 15:45.

• 17:45–19:30: optional dinner buffet at OBA Next Kraaiennest, for those who registered for it in advance. The programme ends at 19:30.

• The journey back to Utrecht is also your own responsibility. Metro line 53 brings you back to Amsterdam Central Station, from where trains to Utrecht Centraal run frequently.

TUESDAY 27 OCTOBER – UTRECHT

Location: Bibliotheek Utrecht (Neude 11)

• 08:30: walk-in

• 09:00: start of the programme

• The lightning talks and the learning circle also work on a walk-in basis. If you want to enter while a lightning talk is in progress, you may be asked to wait a moment.

WEDNESDAY 28 OCTOBER – UTRECHT & ROTTERDAM

• 08:30: walk-in

• 09:00: start of the programme

• The programme in Utrecht ends with the closing plenary at 12:30, followed by lunch at Noda.

• For participants who join the Rotterdam excursion (Fenix) there will be a lunch to go (make your own) and a bus transfer. The bus leaves Utrecht at 13:00 from the boarding point at Janskerkhof; we will walk you there, leaving the library at 12:50 at the latest.

• The bus leaves Rotterdam around 16:45/17:00 to bring you back to Utrecht (or you can travel home from Rotterdam on your own).

GENERAL INFORMATION 

TUESDAY EVENING: DINNER TIPS IN UTRECHT

The evening of Tuesday 27 October is free. All these places are within walking distance of Bibliotheek Utrecht. We recommend reserving in advance as many colleagues will be looking for a table. Opening hours may change, so please check the restaurant’s website or call ahead.

• Carmel Market (Janskerkhof 10): Mediterranean sharing plates, open from 17:00

• Ruby Rose (Korte Jansstraat 23): shared dining and cocktails, open all evening

• Vegitalian (Schoutenstraat 17): vegetarian and vegan Italian, open until 22:00

• Silk Road (Oudegracht aan de Werf 159k): Afghan cuisine by the canal, open from 17:00

• De Klub (Vredenburg 26): seasonal menu with local and fair-trade produce, open from 17:00 (kitchen from 18:00)

• Union House (Oudegracht 245A): restaurant in the former Tivoli concert hall, open from 17:00

• Paloma (Mariaplaats 11): Spanish tapas and cocktails, often with live music, open from 14:30

• Le French Café (Voorstraat 16-18): French brasserie classics, open all day from 11:00


PHOTOS AND RECORDINGS

A professional photographer will be taking photos during the conference, and on Monday the podcast Bieb is Meer will be making recordings at OBA Oosterdok and OBA Next Kraaiennest. The photos and recordings may be used for communication about MetLib. If you prefer not to be photographed, you can pick up a bright green sticker for your badge at the registration desk. The photographer will take care not to include participants wearing this sticker. Please wear it visibly on every day you attend.

WIFI

Wifi is available at all locations. We will provide the details on the day itself; please ask the organization team for the codes.

WEATHER

Late October in the Netherlands is typically cool and changeable, with temperatures of roughly 8–14°C (46–57°F) and a fair chance of rain and wind. Please bring a warm layer, a waterproof jacket or umbrella, and comfortable shoes, as there will be some walking between locations, including the walks in Amsterdam on Monday.

LUGGAGE

A room for luggage storage is available on Sunday and Wednesday. Please ask the organization team at the registration desk. On Wednesday, if you join the excursion to Rotterdam, there are lockers at Fenix for your belongings. Large suitcases can be stored in the bus at your own risk.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

You can pay for public transport in the Netherlands contactless with your debit or credit card or phone; you don’t need a Dutch OV-chipkaart. More information can be found below

CONTACT ON CONFERENCE DAYS

On the conference days you can reach the MetLib team for urgent matters: Karin +31 6 2500 6339 and Benjamin +31 6 3199 5318 (daily 08:00–18:00). We are a small team of two, so please only call if you really need us.

Travel tips

By plane

The most common airport in the Netherlands is Amsterdam Schiphol. From there, you can reach Utrecht Central Station by train in approx 35 minutes. You can also take a taxi or uber, but the cheapest and easiest option is the train.

Think of Schiphol as a city: everything is there, both before and after security. From supermarkets to a post office and from luxury restaurants to a medical center. And everything in between, such as a branch of the Rijksmuseum and a meditation center. And if you want to escape the crowds on the piers take a stroll to the beginning of Pier D in the Schengen area. There, you’ll find a genuine open-air roof garden with a beautiful view of the aircraft. Smoking is not permitted here; the airport has designated areas for this purpose, usually near a bar or restaurant. And importantly, Schiphol offers free Wi-Fi everywhere.

Schiphol is easily accessible by train. You exit or leave beneath Schiphol Plaza and are at the check-in desks and security in just a few minutes. A downside: if you have a very early flight, there are no trains from outside the Randstad area to this station. A plus: train punctuality around Schiphol has improved significantly in recent years.

By train

The Dutch Railways are reliable and fast. You can buy tickets in advance via their website, or from one of the many ticket machines at the train stations (yellow/blue machines). You can pay with your debit or credit card. Don’t forget to check in and out with your ticket!

Average travel times by train from Utrecht CS to:
Amsterdam: 35 mins
Rotterdam: 40 mins
The Hague: 45 mins

From Utrecht Central Station is a 15 mins walk to Utrecht Library. You can also rent a bike at your own risk.

Getting around by public transport

Travelling by public transport in the Netherlands is easy. There’s no need to buy a ticket or register anywhere: simply tap in and out with your contactless debit or credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Maestro or V PAY) or with Apple Pay or Google Pay on your phone or watch. This works on all trains, trams, buses and metros, including the trains between Utrecht and Amsterdam.

A few tips:
– Always tap in and out using the same card or device (e.g. your phone and your physical card count as two different cards). Forgetting to tap out on a train results in a hefty surcharge.
– Each traveller needs their own card or device.
– American Express is not accepted.

Some non-European banks block contactless payments on foreign transit systems, so check with your bank before you travel.
No suitable card? Single tickets and day tickets are available at the ticket machines in stations.

Utrecht tips, where to go?

  • There is a flower market on Saturdays (08:00 a.m.- 05:00 p.m.) It’s not touristy and is a hundred times nicer than the famous one in Amsterdam. Address: Janskerkhof (3 mins walk form Utrecht Library)
  • The Utrecht “Lapjesmarkt” takes place every Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Breedstraat and Begijnhof, and is known as the largest and oldest fabric market in the Netherlands (dating back to 1597). Just 2 minutes walk from Utrecht Neude Library.
  • Want to go to the cinema? In the Netherlands, all films are screened in their original language with Dutch subtitles. Great arthouse cinemas near the library include Louis Hartlooper, Slachtstraat, and Springhaver. For the schedule, just click on the names of the cinemas.
  • Want to get out of the city for a breath of fresh air? Go for a walk in Oud Amelisweerd, visit the country house (open until 25 October), and enjoy one of Utrecht’s best pancakes at Theehuis Rhijnauwen.
  • Much closer is the monumental Zocherpark, one of the oldest public parks in the Netherlands. The Zocher Park is the green city park that surrounds the historical city centre. Covering a distance of five kilometres, you can enjoy beautiful walks that will take you past various places of historical interest. 
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  • Utrecht also boasts some wonderful museums. Our recommendations:
    Centraal Museum: the largest art museum, featuring a diverse collection and excellent exhibitions Nijntje Museum (Miffy Museum): located across from the Centraal Museum, this famous children’s museum places a strong emphasis on reading.
    Sonnenborgh Museum & Observatory: beautifully situated on one of Utrecht’s historic ramparts, it’s also nice to around walk here (part of the Zocher Park)
  • Take a journey through the cosmos Rietveld Schröder House: a home designed by the famous Dutch designer Rietveld; a highlight of the De Stijl movement and an icon of Utrecht. A limited number of spots are available daily, so please book in advance.
  • Looking for something active? Climb the iconic Dom Tower on a guided tour and enjoy panoramic views from the Netherlands’ tallest church tower. Tickets are available at the tourist information office next to the tower.