The Rotterdamsch Leeskabinet owns a delightful and extensive collection of books and magazines on the topic of humour. In 2002, the Leeskabinet acquired the humour collections (over 800 titles) from H. Scholten and humour specialist W. van den Berg. This purchase meant a valuable addition to our humour collection, and the collection functions as an object of study for researchers at Erasmus University.
The following subjects are represented in the collection: general and specialist studies on humour, works by and on cartoonists and humour magazines, books with humour from several countries and ethnic groups, humour on various subjects (such as religion, professions). In 2007 an inventory was made of the humour collection.
An important boost for the humour collection was the donation of the working library of writer Heinz Polzer alias Drs. P in 2018. Additionally, in 2020 the Leeskabinet received a large book donation from publisher, collector and popular culture expert Vic van de Reijt. This donation is rich in light verse and books about cabaret and beautifully designed song books and sheet music.