Welcome to BRON. Here you can make use of our extensive collection of library books, archives, object files and our digital services. Our experts are available by appointment if you wish to discuss something, and you can consult the collection of the Print Room. To ensure that your visit is pleasant and enjoyable, we kindly ask you to observe the following guidelines in the BRON museum library and digital platform.
BRON is open to the public during the opening times as published online and on site. Any derogations as regards access will be announced via the website and at the entrance to BRON. The address, contact information and rates for BRON can be found on the BRON website.
By using the services of the research centre of the City of Bruges - Museums Department (hereinafter: 'BRON'), you declare that you agree with these regulations and the general visitor regulations of the City of Bruges - Museums Department (hereinafter: 'Musea Brugge').
Article 1:
The library is freely accessible to everyone who observes these regulations.
Article 2:
BRON provides cloakrooms and lockers for free. Musea Brugge is not responsible for loss, theft or damage to any item left behind in the cloakroom or lockers. The BRON team empties the cloakrooms and lockers after closing time. Items left behind are considered lost property. Lost property can be picked up at the front desk of BRON. Valuables will be handed over to the police.
Article 3:
Jackets, bags, umbrellas, food, drinks and other items must be left in the cloakroom or lockers. Study resources are allowed. Drinks are only permitted in the BRON lounge. In all other departments, you can only drink water from a sealable bottle or cup. The BRON team has the final say on whether you can take an item on your visit.
With the exception of guide dogs, pets are not allowed in BRON.
Article 4:
To be entitled to all services, you must be at the library at least 60 minutes before closing time.
Article 5:
Musea Brugge expects visitors or users in BRON to:
Article 6:
1. Among other things, the following are prohibited in BRON:
2. Disruptive telephone and media use is not permitted at the silent workstations of the library. Please put telephones in silent mode in the reading and study rooms. Listen to audio clips with headphones.
Article 7:
1. To ensure an optimal research environment, you cannot lend the books, documents and other resources in BRON. Indeed, BRON is not a lending library, but a research library.
2. The resources in BRON are available for reference. Musea Brugge staff may limit the availability of certain resources due to, but not limited to, content-related, curatorial or practical reasons.
3. Special conditions of use may apply to certain sub-collections or resources, including, but not limited to, no copying or consulting only with the permission of the author or other interested parties.
Article 8:
1. Reserving resources from the BRON library is free. Reservations can be made through the request forms on the website or at BRON. You will receive an email as soon as the reserved resource is available. Reserved resources will remain available to the applicant for up to two weeks from the date of the confirmation email. Musea Brugge reserves the right to refuse requests. The decision will be communicated via email.
2. Reservations are limited to ten physical works from the BRON library per day, per user. Exceptions are possible with the prior consent of Musea Brugge. Different rules apply to objects from the Museum Archives and Print Room collections (see below).
3. Visitors can request works from the repositories at the museum site up to 60 minutes before closing time at the BRON front desk. The works from the repository can only be consulted in the BRON reading rooms. Please return any received resource to the library staff after use, or place it on a library cart. Users must not place the resources back on the shelf themselves.
4. BRON does not provide IBL services.
Article 9:
1. BRON provides library computers and Wi-Fi for free. It is strictly prohibited to use the library computers and Wi-Fi for illegal purposes, to view pornography, or to destroy, alter or modify information or software on the computer (including the security system). In the event of misuse, you undertake to indemnify and hold harmless Musea Brugge and the City of Bruges against any and all claims or demands resulting from any infringement thereof.
2. The digital collections and services of BRON can be accessed at BRON free of charge. You can check the access conditions of the digital collections with the BRON team.
3. For the safety of users, it is not permitted to store data on the library computers.
Article 10:
1. At BRON, you can consult a selection of objects and resources from the heritage collection and archival collection of Musea Brugge, by appointment. For this, please submit a request, giving reasons, via the request form on the website or at BRON. To access the works and resources, you must present a valid photo ID. Musea Brugge reserves the right to refuse requests.
2. The City of Bruges, Musea service, expects users to treat the works and resources with care according to the "Guidelines for consulting old prints, engravings, drawings and other valuable works in the Print Room" (see Annex). Intentional damage or theft of valuable works will result in suspension, a ban, a claim for compensation or prosecution.
3. Requests are limited to ten archival resources from the archival collection or physical objects from the Print Room per day, per user. Exceptions are possible with the prior consent of Musea Brugge.
4. The Print Room envisages a period of one week to take the objects out of storage. Valuable works can only be consulted on site in the Print Room.
5. Archival resources can only be accessed on site. If the resource is available digitally, this will be proposed in the first instance. We only take original sources/archival resources from their storage place if there is sufficient justification.
6. Special conditions of use may apply to certain collections, including, but not limited to, no copying or consulting only with the permission of the author or other interested parties.
Article 11:
1. BRON makes digital documents available free of charge for scientific and educational purposes or private use following a reasoned request via e-mail. Requests are limited to one chapter/article per day, per user. Exceptions are possible with the prior consent of Musea Brugge. In the case of private use, the user guarantees that the use will be private when requesting the service. In all other cases, it is the user's responsibility to obtain permission from the copyright holder.
2. Musea Brugge reserves the right to refuse requests or only partly process them, due to, but not limited to, the condition of the document, the scope of the assignment or the time frame for processing the request. The decision will be communicated via email.
3. Valuable works (works on paper or archival documents) must not be photocopied, due to preservation and conservation requirements. Taking photographs without flash for personal use is permitted with prior permission from the collection director of Musea Brugge, as long as the normal exploitation of the work is not compromised.
4. The use of a reproduction of a resource from the BRON library collection in a publication is permitted after prior written permission from Musea Brugge, and provided that the source is correctly cited. If applicable, the user must still obtain additional permission from the copyright holder of the resources. The use of a reproduction of a resource from the BRON library collection for commercial purposes is permitted upon payment of a reproduction charge (see rates on the website) and provided that the source is correctly cited.
5. The use of images from works from the heritage and art collection of Musea Brugge falls under the management of Art in Flanders. In the Art in Flanders image bank, you can freely download images in high resolution. Modifications to images are only permitted with the express permission of the City of Bruges. When used in a (printed) publication or commercial product, please always indicate the correct photo credit (Musea Brugge, © photo: First Name Last Name Photographer).
6. If you use a reproduction for a publication or commercial product, you donate two free copies of the publication or product to Musea Brugge for the museum library: Musea Brugge Attn: BRON, Dijver 12, 8000 Bruges (Belgium).
7. For any further use of the reproductions, the applicant is responsible for compliance with copyright laws as stipulated in Book XI of the Code of Economic Law.
Article 12:
As a user, you undertake to observe copyright laws. The library is not liable for any misuse.
Article 13:
1. The City of Bruges is not liable for damage to devices, such as USB sticks and external hard drives, or damage to the user's phone, tablet or computer from the use of the library computers or Wi-Fi. Nor is the City of Bruges liable for damage or loss of data and disruption or inconvenience caused by the use of the library computers or Wi-Fi.
2. To avoid any liability, please check that the requested resources are complete and undamaged when you receive them. In the event of problems, please notify a BRON staff member immediately.
3. Users must report any damage or problems they have caused or noticed to/on resources. Users who have caused damage to all or part of a resource are obliged to reimburse the cost of the resource in full as well as any additional administrative costs (see Annex). The resource remains the property of the library even though you have reimbursed its cost. There are separate rules for archival resources and the Print Room (see Annex).
Article 14:
1. If the user refuses to comply with the rules of the visitor regulations and the guidelines of BRON staff members, the BRON staff members will intervene. This may result in sanctions commensurate with the violation and/or immediate removal from BRON by BRON staff members or the police.
2. These regulations are governed by Belgian law.
3. All disputes arising herefrom shall be submitted exclusively to the courts of Bruges.
1. Make an appointment using the request form on the website.
2. Requests are limited to ten physical objects from the Print Room per day, per user. Exceptions are possible with the prior consent of Musea Brugge.
3. Objects from the Print Room can be requested via the online request form no later than one week prior to the visit.
1. When you arrive, you must present a valid photo ID at the BRON visitor desk.
2. You can bring your own laptop, tablet and phone to the Print Room. Jackets, bags, food, drinks and other items must be left in the free lockers. Writing materials, with the exception of pencils, must also be left in the lockers
3. Always wash your hands before handling objects. Please also wash your hands when returning to the Print Room after a break.
4. Please do not wear nail polish when consulting valuable works, to protect them.
5. You can limit damage or the risk of damage by removing jewellery and accessories, such as loose necklaces, key cords, bracelets, rings, and scarves. Make sure your hair does not touch the object if examining it up close.
6. Light is damaging to works on paper. If you leave the Print Room to take a break, please close the folder, cover the passe-partout or close the book to reduce light damage. Feel free to ask the Print Room staff for help.
7. Photographing the objects without flash and without a tripod is permitted for personal study purposes. In the Art in Flanders image bank, you can freely download images in high resolution. Modifications to images are permitted only with the express permission of the City of Bruges. When used in a (printed) publication or commercial product, please always indicate the correct photo credit (Musea Brugge, © photo: First Name Last Name Photographer).
8. You must always follow the instructions of the Musea Brugge staff in the Print Room on how to handle the objects. In some cases, staff members will handle the objects themselves.
9. If you wish to study the back of an object or a watermark or handle special research equipment such as a lightsheet, you need permission from a Musea Brugge staff member in the Print Room.
10. The objects from the Print Room can only be consulted on site in the Print Room. It is not permitted to take the objects to another room.
11. You must immediately report any damage you have caused to the objects to the staff member at the Print Room. A conservation staff member will assess the damage by taking photographs, and draw up a damage report if necessary. If you are responsible for the damage, you must pay the costs of restoration.
The user is liable for any damage caused to a document or its packaging, furniture, appliances or other equipment. The user is therefore obliged to repay the costs of this damage.
Tuesday to Thursday: 10am - 4pm + by appointment
The consultation room for the Print Room: by appointment only
Exceptions:
