Dinosaur in the Lochal

In 2013, Naturalis discovered several hundred Triceratops bones in the state of Wyoming, USA. They turned out to be from at least six different individuals. After more than ten years of work, the dinosaurs are ready to be exhibited in the museum in 2024. The library visits by the five skeletons - one remains at Naturalis - serve as a preview of this exhibition. They also aim to reach audiences for whom visiting a museum or Leiden is less accessible. "Conversely, we also hope that this will attract even more children and their parents to the LocHal Library," says Peter Kok, director of the Midden-Brabant Library. "Here, we will connect the magic of reading with that of dinosaurs and science."
Fruitful collaboration between natural history museums and libraries
Experts from the Brabant Nature Museum are contributing to the assembly of the dinosaur skeletons and developing the associated educational offerings. "For us, collaborating with the LocHal Library is a natural choice. Even with this project, we join forces to introduce people of all ages to the world of dinosaurs in an inspiring and accessible way," explains Fiona Zachariasse from the Brabant Nature Museum. "Both libraries and museums are embedded in society. We share knowledge and reach people from various backgrounds, each in our own way."
After assembly, the five Triceratops will simultaneously travel to Naturalis, where they will take center stage in a new dinosaur exhibition at the museum. Each city bids farewell to 'its' Triceratops. In the libraries, a 3D-printed copy of the respective dinosaur will remain.