The Iish as a Trailblazer in Technology in the 1990s: Jaap Kloosterman's Transformative Breakthroughs

Appointing Jaap Kloosterman deputy director of Collections in 1985 may have been one of the most fruitful decisions ever by Eric Fischer (the Iish director since 1984). ¹ Although not previously the most progressive institution among archive and library services, the Iish was rapidly transformed into an early adopter of new technology, with exceptionally original ideas about how best to apply it. Many of these ideas were inspirational insights of Jaap Kloosterman, who in turn became the director in 1993. As a consequence, in the 1990s the Iish established a technological edge, which was a driving force behind these golden years at the Institute.