Some good news on the Dutch front…
I haven’t kept up with Dutch archival developments for several years, but today I somehow managed to happen upon a new (for me) important change: the Nationaal Archief (formerly Algemeen Rijksarchief) has now put up some (all?) of their typescript archive indices, the ones you had to go look at in the archives years ago. For one example, see this pdf. They also have scans of some of their maps as well. Most of the inventories aren’t nearly as descriptive as the catalogs the French Archives de Guerre put out 100 years ago (and which are now on Google Books/Gallica), but it’s a good start.
If somebody has some free time (and the requisite knowledge of the Dutch language) and wants to update the rest of us in the comments, that’d be neat-o. As for me, I’ve got deadlines looming.
I am fairly new to the Nationaal Archief myself (and to Dutch), but the indices are as you describe. You can identify the dossier you want from home, log on to the NA website and book them for a specified date. When you get there they are waiting for you. Regrettably for me, the Saturday opening hours are short and I have to drive two hours to get there. Without prebooking there would only be 3-4 hours actual work.
At the moment there is a frustrating renovation going on and it is not even open on Saturdays
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