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Public Libraries in the Netherlands
The Dutch Public Library system consists of three layers of library services related to three levels of government, serving 15.6 million inhabitants. At the local level about 1.115 public libraries (540 with 565 branches) are financially supported by local authorities. Most of the 547 communities have a library or mobile service (90 buses in total). Some 416, mostly smaller libraries, are associated with a Provincial Library Centre (9 PBCs) and have a full service contract; other libraries buy some of these regional services, including mobile services.
There are 12 provinces (ranging from 400.000 to 2,5 million inhabitants). At the provincial level, the provincial government subsidises provincial library centres (PBCs) (and a regional academic support function attached to a larger public library (13 WSF) in the country, formerly receiving state-funding). The PBCs are not open to the public but are library service and facility centres in which a number of library functions are concentrated and specialised. In words of today, they are the back office for the libraries in the province.
At the national level, the state subsidises NBLC, the Netherlands Public Library Association, for maintaining and improving the public library network, including tasks for professional quality, innovation, ICT, and a central lending facility for foreign languages (4,5 million euro). (Services for the blind and seamen are executed by separately subsidised institutions). For its association work, NBLC, receives membership income from all public libraries (0,4 million euro).
Central library information services are performed by Biblion Ltd (a former department of the NBLC Association) and Netherlands Library Service (NBD, a non-profit library supply foundation established by booksellers, publishers and public libraries in 1970) which have merged in 2001.
There is a well-established delivery service for government and public information via a national distribution system performed by NBLC/Biblion and the provincial library centres. Twice a week all libraries can receive information, (interlibrary loan) books, media, exhibitions and material via this system. National campaigns are also using this distribution system to reach a large audience.
NBLC and NBD have set up a joint centre for IT-expertise, LAURENS, to speed up innovation and IT-implementation in the library field.
All library organisations (public libraries, academic libraries, Royal Library and librarians) are represented in the umbrella organisation FOBID, also housed at NBLC.
Development and legislation
How did public library services start? Initiatives of community groups, churches and charity institutions have played a substantive role in building up the Dutch welfare state. Public libraries were set up by these groups and gradually received funding from the state and local government. Nowadays, public libraries still are mainly private non-profit foundations and receive about 80% in local subsidies. In addition, 15% of income is through users (membership and overdue fees) and 5% through other paid activities like courses and lectures. Contrary to international principles of a public library, Dutch public libraries have maintained the roots of a readers association including a subscription fee, at least for adults (average fee 20 euro a year).
After World War II, provincial library centres (PBCs) were created and they transformed rural provisions into real public library services. PBCs developed logistics to set up one library after the other: acquisition of library stock, recruitment of staff, management and financial administration, library architecture and furniture, and mobile services; in later years library automation, marketing and public relations, and institutional services in addition to the traditional school services have become part of their programme.
The 1975 Act on Public Library Services confirmed this structure: Libraries in communities with less than 30.000 inhabitants should have a contract of co-operation with a PBC in order to receive state funding. Even after the 1987 decentralisation of state subsidies and responsibilities to local and provincial government, most libraries have continued the service contract with the PBC on a voluntary basis. The Welfare Act of 1987 stated that management and financial administration were obligatory services to smaller local libraries, to be paid with provincial subsidies and performed by the PBC. The legal introduction of Lending Right in the current Authors' Act, obliges public libraries to pay for libraries loans. The total sum is negotiated with the right owners and will be 20 million Euro in 2005. In reality, users have to pay extra. In the current Act on Specific Cultural Policy (1994) all the library legislation is lost except for a minor regulation on children's contribution fee (no more than 50% of adults' fee) and the common responsibility of the government levels to stimulate the co-operation in library networks.
Government policy
In order to facilitate co-operation, the Minister asked for advice. The Meijer-report Open gateway to knowledge (April 2000) recommended a new structure for the public libraries, based on base-libraries, improved infrastructure, support services, co-operation between governmental levels, quality control system and IT impulses leading to new virtual services. The transformational process will last 4 years and total costs are estimated to rise from 926 to 1.233 million guilders (420 to 559 million euro). Through cost-effectiveness of the network of base libraries, the number of staff is estimated to increase with 17%, opening hours increase as well. Stocks can be improved. The average costs per inhabitant will grow from: 26 to 33 euro, based on 80% subsidy, this will require an extra subsidy of 5,6 euro per inhabitant from all three government levels together. Funding has still to be found.
In the meantime, a covenant to be signed by the representatives of the government levels has been formulated and a project management organisation has started. An initial sum of 5,5 million euro a year is available to facilitate co-operation and staff training.
Netherlands Public Library Strategy Plans 1995-2005
Decentralisation prompted the need for renewed legitimisation and profiling of the public library at the local level. At the same time, the public library sector as a whole had to argue and present the importance of the public library in modern society. The basic principles were laid down by the Charter for the Public Library, a sector-supported statement based on the UNESCO/IFLA Public Library Manifesto. The statement was followed by NBLC Strategy Papers.
On the road to 2005 (1995), outlined the future image of the public library as the centre of information, culture and education. In this new paradigm, public library services are extended and adapted to the new media, electronic resources and digital services. The information function is strongly reinforced. Services have to become demand-focused. The library must seek new partners and alliances with social groups and institutions in order to establish an efficient public information service with a large network. Key words for action became: reinforcement of the branch structure, marketing and innovation of products.
The strategy was updated on the occasion of the new Cultural Plan of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, 2001-2004. The NBLC presented its long term plan under the title Public Square'. The image of the public or open square is used to draw attention to the public and the broad function of the public library. The library user can enter the Public Square in two ways: physically by visiting the local library and virtually by logging into the virtual public library. The local and the national (virtual) services complement each other.
In order to support the development of similar local services and activities, the NBLC presents a branch-wide programme including activities in the fields of : Quality systems, Professional training, Communication and promotion, Research, International exchange, National partnerships and IT services. Staff recruitment and training have become crucial as 10-15% staff will retire in the coming decade, while hardly any students from the higher professional library education apply. (There is no library education at academic level.) A Staff Strategy Plan for the public library sector will be implemented.
IT in libraries
The government supports the implementation of IT in libraries. At the end of 2000 all public libraries were connected to the internet, giving access to public and government information, made possible through the Project: 'The Government, an open book'. Workstation terminals are available both for users and library staff. Some 3000 administrative workers and 3000 library-technical staff were trained for front office support or maintenance and management of multimedia PC's and networks, and for giving media-education to various user groups, especially the elderly, (minority) women, and the unemployed. Following tariff policies, in 9 out of 10 cases the public's use of Internet is not free. The average fee is 0,68 euro for a quarter of an hour. In 20% of the cases, libraries offer some sites for free; this mostly (75%) concerns public and government information. A Handbook on Media-education with examples of best practice has been published.
As a continuation of increasing library services to primary and secondary education, and vocational education, a virtual school library project has been initiated: www.schoolmediatheek.nl. This portal site includes information sources on literature, culture and media education for writing papers and giving talks on various subjects. Relevant non-fiction materials are collected by the four main cities libraries (G-4) and presented under the title Subject guide/Spider (Vakwijzer/De Spin).
Another project is Knowledge Neighbourhood, part of called e-Culture, which is set up as a broadband network in parts of some municipalities, bringing information and culture including library sources into the homes.
Virtual library: bibliotheek.nl
On 23 November 2025 the virtual public library was launched: The national portal site: www.bibliotheek.nl is a common initiative of the Dutch public libraries in NBLC. Bibliotheek.nl is the gateway not only to information on Internet but also to the physical local library. New tools are added. A site generator is a tool developed for librarians to build local websites linked to Bibliotheek.nl.
A unique search engine, Aquabrowser, searches both simultaneously and with associated terms. Primary sources are the national book title database, selected educational sources, a short version of the Newspaper database and the digital newspaper archive, all full-text
Bibliotheek.nl has been developed through subsidies from various ministries, including the National Action Plan Electronic Highways (NAP) 1997-2000 with 15 million guilders to guarantee public access to the Internet and government information. Municipalities, provinces and library organisations themselves have contributed to this new stage, the hybrid library.
In the near future, the virtual library will expand through additions from various partners, a digital reference service and information desk, a virtual meeting place for literature lovers and links to local library systems for directly borrowing materials and make reservations.
This makes the public library, virtual and physical, a true public service for the new century: a centre for knowledge, culture and communication.
Netherlands Public Library Statistics
1998, Published in BibliotheekBlad, July 2001
Number of service points: 1115
Number of organisations: 551
- Of which PBC's: 11(9)
- Of which associated with PBC's: 416
- Of which independent city libraries: 124
Total collection items (x 1000): 40.994
Number of loans (x 1000): 167.384
Number of memberships/library cards (x 1000): 4.484
National user percentage: 30
Staff in full-time equivalent (FTE): 6300
Staff hours per week (x 1000): 195
Finances, total income ( x million guilders): 870
Received subsidies ( x million guilders): 695
Income from users (x million guilders): 132
1 Dutch Guilder is 2,20371 Euro
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28 June 2026
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