Subsidies
Metamorfoze is based on a model of selection and prioritization. The programme concentrates on material of Dutch origin, that is kept in cultural heritage institutions with a depository function: scholarly libraries, larger regional or local libraries, archival institutions, regional historical centres, historical documentation centres, museums and research institutes.
Twice yearly an independant review committee discusses subsidy applications. The review committee, made up of several independent experts, counsels and evaluates the Metamorfoze programme. The committee's primary task is to make recommendations on the subsidizing of project proposals that are submitted to Metamorfoze. The committee also assesses the formulation and implementation of the preservation policy of the Metamorfoze programme. Sections The programme is divided into different sections, being Archives, Collections and Books, newspapers, periodicals. Archives that are of national importance can apply for a preservation subsidy. These may be government, national or private archives. The archives must contain important information on historic events, distictive features or developments in the Netherlands, or relations between the Netherlands and other parts of the world. Because of their contents, local and regional archives may als be considered to be of national interest. The Collections that qualify for preservation under the Metamorfoze programme are those that concern the Dutch language, culture and history in the broadest sense of the word. The collections are of national or international importance. They can consist of manuscripts, printed matter or a combination thereof. Because of their ensemble value, collections are usually preserved in their entirety. General printed materials such as Books, newspapers and periodicals are also eligible for preservation. Book preservation forms a separate section of the Metamorfoze programme: Preservation of Dutch Book Production (Behoud Nederlandse Boekproductie, or BNB). This concerns books that are kept in the general collections of the country's major libraries, among them the Koninklijke Bibliotheek and the university libraries. In principle one copy of each title is preserved. The preservation of newspapers and periodicals takes place within separate projects.