Staff

Roman Koot
Since 2017 I am the librarian of the Rotterdamsch Leeskabinet and in 2021 I additionally became curator of special collections and academic heritage at the Erasmus University Library. After studying art history in Leiden, I was a faculty liaison at Utrecht University Library and head of Library and Archives at the RKD – Netherlands Institute for Art History. My main interest is in cultural history of the modern era (interwar period), but I am broadly oriented. Currently, I am researching the book history of the city of Rotterdam. I am a jury member of the Mr. J. Dutilh Prize for the best book about Rotterdam. What I am always looking for is literature and art that challenges and gives a different perspective on life and the world.
E-mail roman.koot@eur.nl
dr. Berrie Vugts
I’m a film and literary scholar and work at the Leeskabinet since 2013. Before that I worked in a secondhand bookstore for several years. At the Leeskabinet I’m responsible for our cultural program, the fiction collection and our book clubs.
E-mail berrie.vugts@eur.nl
Elsbeth van der Ploeg
I have been working at the Rotterdamsch Leeskabinet since 2016 and am responsible for communication and the production of our cultural and literary events. The Leeskabinet book club is a much-loved part of my work. I studied history at the University of Amsterdam and at the EUR and previously obtained a bachelor's degree in journalism. As an avid reader, I have a penchant for American literature and memoirs.
E-mail: elsbeth.vanderploeg@eur.nl
Farina Rodjan
I have been working at the Rotterdamsch Leeskabinet since April 2021, and I'm primarily responsible for the financial- and membership administration. Before this, I worked for TU Delft and the Municipality of Rotterdam in their respective financial departments. I enjoy reading about historical topics such as WWII, the French Revolution and the American Civil War. My great hobby is traveling, and I especially like to visit places related to these events.
E-mail rodjan@eur.nl