1. General
Stichting Nederlands Literatuurmuseum en Literatuurarchief (NLL) will do everything possible, within reason, to make visits to the museum complex and the exhibitions and activities organised by the museum match the visitor's wishes. The museum will make every effort to minimise any nuisance or inconvenience to the visitor, as well as to ensure the visitor's safety as much as possible.
2. General provisions and definitions
2.1. Stichting Nederlands Literatuurmuseum en Literatuurarchief means the organisation that manages and operates the museum complex containing the Museum of Literature and the Children’s Book Museum, including, but not limited to, the management, curators, public affairs employees and other museum officials authorised to act on behalf of this organisation.
2.2. The ‘museum complex' means the entirety of spaces (built-up and not built on) under the legal or management jurisdiction of the NLL management, including, but not limited to, exhibition halls, study rooms, meeting rooms, museum café and depot.
2.3. 'Visitor' means any person who enters the museum and/or visits an exhibition or attends, as a guest by invitation, an activity organised by NLL or by third parties authorised by NLL at the museum.
2.4. The moment a visitor enters the museum, either as a paying visitor or as a guest, he is deemed to have entered into an agreement with NLL to which the Visitor Conditions apply. The Visitor Conditions also apply to special activities during or outside regular opening hours and/or aimed at other than normal visitors, such as in the case of room rentals, shop visits and the like.
2.5. The applicability of the Visitor Conditions does not affect the applicability of any other (contractual) conditions and/or regulations of NLL. Concurrence with other specific (contractual) conditions of NLL shall not set aside the Visitor Terms. In case of conflict, the specific conditions or provisions given for a particular activity shall prevail over the Visitor Conditions.
3. Accessibility
3.1. The museum is housed in an accessible building with exhibitions and activities spread over several floors. The NLL is committed to achieving the highest possible level of accessibility.
3.2. Visitors are advised to be aware of any limitations in terms of personal accessibility.
3.3. Upon entering the museum, visitors are advised to acquaint themselves with the escape routes to be used in case of an emergency or possible emergency. The use of lifts is prohibited in emergencies.
3.4. For information on circumstances that may impose limitations on personal accessibility and options for individual assistance, visitors are advised to contact the site manager.
4. Ticket sales, offers and prices
4.1. All quotations made by NLL in writing or otherwise provided in writing are binding insofar as they concern proprietary information material present within the museum at the time of the claim, or recently distributed by or on behalf of NLL. The NLL is not liable for errors due to intent, fault, or negligence of third parties.
4.2. Every visitor, when present in the museum, must have a valid admission ticket. Visitors may enter only by the designated entrance.
4.3. Visitors are obliged at all times to show the admission ticket and any voucher or card entitling him/her to a discount on the admission price to officers recognisable as such, including but not limited to security staff.
4.4. Visitors are not entitled to a refund of the admission price or any other compensation in case of loss or theft of the admission ticket before entering the museum. If a visitor does not use the pre-purchased admission ticket, this is at the visitor's own expense and risk; this is also the case if the admission ticket is only valid for a certain time and/or date. Tickets once obtained cannot be exchanged. No refunds of the entrance fee will be given. Tickets obtained online can be rescheduled online, provided the original time and/or date have not yet expired. In this case, there will be no refund of the entrance fee either.
4.5. Visitors and potential visitors may be denied entry to the museum if it appears that the admission ticket, discount card or voucher has not been obtained from NLL or a body authorised by NLL.
4.6. Entry tickets are strictly personal and non-transferable.
4.7. A Museum Pass is strictly personal and non-transferable. Museum Passes must be shown when entering the museum.
4.8. NLL has special discounted rates for education. The conditions are as follows:
a. Schools are requested to book in advance;
b. Groups should have adequate supervision, as stated at the time of booking confirmation;
c. Schools visit the museum outside official school holidays;
d. Payment with a Museum Pass is not possible;
e. For a guided tour, in addition to the cost of the tour, the normal entrance fee per visitor will be charged. In that case, paying with the Museum Pass is possible.
f. Bookings made can be changed or cancelled in writing up to 7 days before the visit. Late changes or cancellations are subject to charges as stated in the booking confirmation.
4.9. NLL will refund the admission price and travel expenses actually paid by a visitor only if the visitor has to leave the museum complex prematurely due to an unannounced exercise in the context of the Working Conditions Act (Article 23 of the Working Conditions Act ), as well as in the event of an actual calamity resulting in the museum complex being fully or partially evacuated.
5. Stay in the museum
5.1. The visitor is prohibited from being in or entering any part of the museum other than that to which the admission ticket entitles the visitor.
5.2. During their stay at the museum, visitors shall behave in accordance with public order, public morality and the standards of decency applicable to the nature of the exhibitions visited. The visitor is also obliged to immediately follow the directions and instructions given by NLL officials recognisable as such, including but not limited to security staff. If, in the reasonable opinion of a duly authorised officer of the NLL, who must be recognisable as such, the visitor violates these standards, directions or instructions in any way, the visitor may be denied further access to the museum, without the visitor having any right to reimbursement of the cost of the admission ticket or any other expenses incurred.
5.3. Parents or supervisors of children are responsible and accountable for the behaviour of children in their care at all times. Teachers and group supervisors are responsible and accountable for the behaviour of group members they supervise.
5.4. In the museum, visitors are prohibited from:
a. offering goods of any kind for sale to third parties, or provide them free of charge;
b. deliberately and persistently obstructing other visitors' way or obstruct the view of exhibits;
c. disturbing other visitors, including, but not limited to, by the use of mobile phones, walkmans or other sources of noise nuisance; however, the use of such equipment may be expressly permitted by the Museum of Literature in certain areas;
d. bringing in (domestic) animals, unless they are explicitly allowed in certain areas or if they are assistance dogs accompanying a visitor with an identification card;
e. smoking;
f. bringing in and consuming food and refreshments except in the designated area of the Museum Café;
g. in the opinion of an NLL official recognisable as such, carrying dangerous objects or substances, including, but not limited to, walking sticks, umbrellas or large bags; these may be checked in in a place to be designated by the museum. Bags up to A3 size (29.7x42 cm) are allowed in the museum. Larger bags and backpacks must be stored in the cloakroom or lockers.
h. touching exhibited objects. Parents or supervisors of children should strictly ensure that the children they accompany do not touch exhibits on display. Teachers and group supervisors should ensure that the group members they supervise do not touch the objects on display.
5.5. If the overall safety of persons or the collection reasonably requires it, NLL officers, who must be recognisable as such, may demand inspection of the (hand) luggage carried by the visitor. Moreover, if it is deemed necessary, specially trained and educated staff may request visitors to cooperate in a security search when entering or leaving the museum.
Potential visitors are warned before entering the museum complex that this measure is in force.
5.6. Other than with the prior written consent of the NLL management, visitors are prohibited from taking photographs and making video and film recordings, using lights, flash and tripods. It is also forbidden, except with the prior written permission of the NLL management, to disclose or reproduce photo, video and film recordings in any way and through any medium whatsoever, including electronic media.
5.7. The NLL may deny access to the museum permanently or for a certain period of time to a visitor who, during one or more previous visits to a Dutch museum complex, has deliberately damaged an object or who otherwise has given reason to fear he may; the museum may in any case subject this visitor to the measures referred to in Article 5.5 of these Visitor Conditions during all his visits. Personal data will be processed in the process.
The decision to deny access will be communicated to this visitor without delay, with reasons and, if possible, in writing.
6. Complaints
6.1. The NLL will make every effort to ensure that visits to the museum or exhibitions and activities organised by NLL are in accordance with the published offer. This includes the obligation to inform the public as well as possible about full, partial or early closure of the museum and/or exhibitions organised by NLL. Furthermore, the NLL will inform the potential public about nuisance-causing maintenance works, renovations or the (re)arrangement of spaces. The visitor can never derive any right to compensation from this.
6.2. Complaints with regard to the following circumstances are inadmissible. These circumstances can never lead to any obligation for the NLL to pay the visitor compensation.
a. Complaints relating to objects in the NLL's permanent collection not being on display.
b. Complaints relating to the partial closure of the museum, including, but not limited to, partial closure due to the construction or dismantling of exhibitions.
c. Complaints and circumstances relating to nuisance or inconvenience caused by other visitors, including but not limited to noise, inappropriate behaviour, theft and wilful damage.
d. Complaints and circumstances relating to nuisance or inconvenience caused by maintenance work, including, but not limited to, refurbishment or the (re)arrangement of rooms.
e. Complaints and circumstances relating to nuisance or inconvenience caused by the improper functioning of facilities in the museum.
6.3. Complaints about any museum visit and claims for damages, including requests for refunds of the admission price, should reach the NLL in writing within six weeks after the visit took place. Complaints and claims submitted after this deadline will not be considered.
6.4. The NLL will investigate the complaint and reply in writing within 30 days of receipt. If the investigation is not completed by then, the complainant will be informed of this and the time when it is expected to be.
6.5. Visitors may submit complaints, complaints and suggestions for improvement at the reception desk on the day of visit or in writing to info@literatuurmuseum.nl.
7. Liability of the museum
7.1. Visitors' stay in the museum is at their own expense and risk.
7.2. The NLL will only be liable for property and/or consequential damage suffered by the visitor or injury inflicted on the visitor that is directly and exclusively the result of intent or gross negligence on the part of the NLL and/or its officers, on the understanding that only damage for which the NLL is insured or should have been insured in reasonableness and fairness, and only to the maximum amount specified in that insurance policy. The NLL does not accept liability for:
a. damage resulting from the actions of third parties, including persons engaged by NLL and tenants of (rooms in) the building and persons engaged by such third parties;
b. damage resulting from failure to comply with instructions given by NLL officials and failure to observe generally applicable standards of decency;
c. damage in any way caused by other visitors;
d. damage caused to visitor's vehicles.
7.3. The NLL will never be liable for damage suffered by the visitor that is the result of force majeure on the part of NLL. Force majeure includes any circumstance beyond the NLL's control - even if it could have been foreseen at the time the agreement was concluded - that temporarily or permanently impedes performance of the agreement, as well as, insofar as not already included therein, war, acts of war, civil war, terrorism, riots, police and/or fire brigade actions, strikes, transport difficulties, fire and other serious disruptions in the NLL's business or in the building, weather conditions and non-functioning of public transport for whatever reason.
8. Liability of visitors
8.1. Visitors to the museum are liable for all direct and indirect damage caused by them whether or not as a result of non-compliance with these visitor conditions and indemnifies and holds the NLL harmless against third-party claims in this regard.
8.2. The (original) person entitled to the admission ticket is jointly responsible and jointly liable for damage caused by the holder of this admission ticket.
8.3. Parents or supervisors of children are responsible and liable for the behaviour of children in their care at all times. Without prejudice to each person's own responsibility and liability, teachers and group supervisors are jointly responsible for and jointly liable for the behaviour of group members they supervise.
8.4. Organisations organising meetings, events and/or parties in the museum or having them organised are at all times responsible and liable for the behaviour of the guests invited by them, without prejudice to these guests' own responsibility and liability.
9. Force majeure
9.1. As force majeure for the NLL, which means that any shortcoming caused by it cannot be attributed to the museum, qualifies any unforeseeable circumstance that impedes the performance of the agreement by the museum to such an extent that, temporarily or permanently, the performance of the agreement becomes impossible or difficult.
9.2. Such circumstances include circumstances affecting persons and/or services and/or institutions used by the NLL in the performance of the visitor agreement, as well as everything that qualifies as force majeure or suspensive or resolutive conditions for the aforementioned parties, as well as attributable failure on the part of the aforementioned parties.
10. Lost and found
10.1. Objects found by visitors in the museum can be handed in to the reception desk.
10.2. The NLL will make every effort to trace the owner of or party entitled to the found object. Found objects that have not been requested by the owner or party entitled to it after six months in NLL custody will be disposed of.
10.3. In case the owner or entitled party of a found object comes forward, he/she has the choice of collecting the goods himself/herself or having them sent to him/her cash on delivery. In both cases, the owner or entitled party must provide proper identification.
11. Applicable law
11.1. These Visitor Conditions and the agreement between the visitor and the NLL are governed by Dutch law.
11.2. All disputes arising from the agreement between the visitor and the NLL shall be submitted to the exclusive jurisdiction of the District Court in The Hague.
12. Final provision
If one or more of the aforementioned articles are or become invalid, the remaining provisions will continue to apply. In that case, a new provision that corresponds to the old invalid provision as much as possible in terms of content, scope and/or objective shall take the place of the invalid provision.
The Visitor Conditions of the Stichting Nederlands Literatuurmuseum en Literatuurarchief have been adopted by the director and filed under number 41150381 with the Chamber of Commerce in The Hague.
The Visitor Conditions are published at www.literatuurmuseum.nl and elsewhere.
A.J.M. Meinderts
Director of the Stichting Nederlands Literatuurmuseum en Literatuurarchief