The NBLC Netherlands Association of Public Libraries, founded in 1972 is an Association of public libraries and stands for promotion of interest of its members, for instance in the field of copyright, lending right, contacts with the Association of Dutch Municipalities, and, with the national government, particularly the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.

All 600 public libraries are member of the Association. NBLC receives its annual membership fees, but is financially mainly dependent on the Ministry. By order of the Ministry, the Association executes an annual programme which is aimed at the promotion of the cohesion, quality and plurality of the Dutch public library system. Every four years a new framework plan (Cultuurnota) is provided by the Ministry as the basis for a new period of subsidy for tasks to be performed at a national level.

This means that NBLC develops programmes for library support services to schools and educational institutions, for the promotion of reading and literacy, for the information policy, for immigrants, and for library training and additional education. Part of NBLCs subsidy is for the development and maintenance of a national media-collection (LBC) for specific services to immigrant, ethnic minorities and refugees/asylum seekers. This task is executed by Biblion BV, the former non-profit central service department of NBLC, which also realises other contract- based projects.

NBLC provides a professional biweekly, BibliotheekBlad, with a range of articles and interviews on new development, debate issues and professional literature.

NBLC has a professional library and information centre available for its members. This Library and Information Centre executes an Information Service Line and collects materials, programmes and plans on new services, marketing and management, collection policies, user-education etc.

The Association has an office with 25 full-time staff members, but could not possibly perform its activities without the support of a dozen committees and working groups composed of directors and librarians with large knowledge from daily practice.

Contrary to many other countries NBLC is an Association of libraries. Conflict of interests of libraries and library staff in one same Association was the reason for splitting up more than twenty years ago. Then it was again decided to establish a separate organisation of public librarians. This became a branch of the Dutch Association of Librarians (NVB) which is mainly aimed at the discussion and forming of opinion of the professional, and, for that matter, is an association representing all disciplines in the library profession. One of the results has been the formulation of a Professional Charter for Librarians in Public Libraries.