The Librarian of the UvA and AUAS/HvA is responsible for the general management of the UvA Library (UB) and the AUAS/HvA Library (HB). 

The libraries play a crucial role is providing access to the knowledge gathered by the UvA and AUAS/HvA. They not only support teaching and research at the institutions but also provide an inspiring learning environment. Technological developments now make it possible to use and apply knowledge in a large number of ways as well as to access information remotely. At the same time, students are increasingly using the study centres of the UB and HB to meet each other and to study. An important task for Heijne therefore involves the changing role of collection management in a digital environment and the relationship between the 'physical library’ and the ‘digital library’.

About Maria Heijne

Maria A.M. Heijne is an experienced librarian and library administrator. She is especially interested in technological and innovative developments in the library world. From 2011, Heijne was director of the Dutch Sector Institute for Public Libraries (SIOB), where she was responsible for managing the national system of public libraries. From 1997 to 2011 she held posts at TU Delft, first as sector director for information sources and after 2001 as librarian/director of the TU Delft Library. Before her time at Delft, her career included various positions at SURFnet, the Dutch organisation for ICT innovation in higher education and research. 

Heijne holds several consulting and management positions. She is a member of the Steering Group of the Dutch Shared Information Infrastructure Consortium and of the Task Force on E-books of the National Authorities on Public Libraries in Europe (NAPLE). She previously served as chair of the International Association of Scientific and Technological University Libraries (IATUL) and chair of UKB, the association of Dutch university libraries and the National Library of the Netherlands.

Heijne trained as a librarian-documentalist at the former Frederik Muller Academy in Amsterdam and studied Book and Information Studies at the UvA.  

About UB and HB

The University Library of the UvA is one of the largest academic libraries in the Netherlands. In addition to an extensive research collection, the UB administers the Special Collections (heritage collections such as manuscripts, prints and maps) and the Allard Pierson Museum (the archaeological museum of the University). The Library of the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences/Hogeschool van Amsterdam (AUAS/HvA) provides access to multimedia sources for students and staff of the AUAS/HvA. The UB and HB have formed a joint organisation since 2011.