Changes to the CegeSoma reading room
In the final month of this year and in January 2026, Hilde Keppens and Kathleen Vandenberghe, two pillars of the CegeSoma reading room, are retiring. We will miss their professionalism and kindness, as will all those who have regularly visited our reading room to consult CegeSoma’s collections.
In the impending wake of their departure, we have decided to reorganise the reading room service in conjunction with that of the War Victims Archives Service so we may continue to offer you a high-quality service.
In practice, this means that, from the end of January 2026 onwards:
- the CegeSoma reading room will be open from Tuesday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m without interruption;
- visitors to the War Victims Archives Service and CegeSoma are to head straight to the reading room on the mezzanine floor. Lockers for storing personal belongings will also be located on this floor.
Brief reminder: You must always reserve a place in advance of your visit to our reading room via the online calendar. You can select a date using this system, after which you will receive an automatic confirmation email. You can order books, journals, etc. in advance (max. 5 items). Archival documents must be requested at least two working days in advance.
To save time, please pay particular attention to the reference numbers you provide when reserving archive files relating to resistance fighters. In the “Resistance in Belgium” database, if you search for a person, it is not the “Q” reference followed by a number next to the person's name that indicates where their file is located, but the name of the archive collection followed by the “inventory number(s)” listed under “subject of”. If you wish to consult a dossier that is part of the “Resistance Status through the Underground Press of the War Victims Archives Service files”, the request should be addressed to our colleagues in that department.
Finally, CegeSoma’s reading room will close on Wednesday 24 December 2025 and reopen on Tuesday 6 January 2026.