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Open gateway to knowledge
Summary
On request of the State Secretary of Culture, the Cultural Council presented a blueprint for a new administrative structure for the public library network. The analysis was met with common approval adherence, but not the proposed administrative solution to create a regional level by the co-operation of local authorities. Therefore a Steering Group Restructuring public library services was created with the task to prepare a more broadly supported structure, in close consultation with the branch association and the administrative levels.
The Steering Group is convinced that a new structure is necessary for the challenge which libraries are facing in the 21st century. Stimulation should be given to take the needs of (potential) user groups as point of departure for services. New groups should be approached and new (cultural) activities set up to fulfil 'cultural entrepreneurship'. More financial means should be available for investments in ICT and human capital, to make a cultural shift possible.
Basic notions for the advice are:
unimpeded access for every citizen
cultural diversity
plurality and independence of information provision ICT requirements
good relationships with cultural, educational and social institutions
needs of (potential) users. Within 3-4 years a lot will be changed in the library branch, according to the Steering Group.
The concept is a public system in which:
base libraries are financed by local authorities in communities with at least 35.000 inhabitants
the branch association gives a strong support to base libraries
PBC's (provincial library centres) will convey their tasks to base libraries and to new regional facilitating library service organizations.
The government levels (municipalities, provinces and national government) will co-ordinate their policies in a new Governmental Library Consultation. Its secretariat will see to it that policies are executed by the base libraries and the branch association.
The following schedule is used to clarify the concept of the new system:
Figure 1: http://www.minocw.nl/download/biblio2.pdf, p. 6.
Some key words in relation to the various partners:
Consumers
more attention for the consumers' wishes, also the institutional ones, like education.; contracts between library and local authority
co-operation within the community with other organizations in order to support the spread of service points and the input of volunteers
introduction of consumer panels, quality control system.
Library network and branch
The base library is an independent organisation with one or more service points which offers a library service in one or more municipalities. The basic functions are mainly financed by the local government. Other funding from local/provincial government might be provided for other useful tasks based on additional agreements.
Base libraries are not supposed to fulfil all tasks themselves. If they wish so and when it is useful back office tasks can be executed by co-operation with other base libraries, or third parties, e.g. a regional facility library service.
Small libraries (in communities with less than 30-35.000 inhabitants) are advised to merge to a larger library organization service. The criteria of 30.000 inhabitants is regarded as a minimum not an optimum for a base library.
All base libraries are supposed to be members of the branch association, which takes care of advocacy, collective products and services and professional development, financed by its members.
The branch association also fulfils tasks in co-operation with the Administrative Library Consultation to support the system of libraries, e.g. efficiency, coherence, quality and plurality, financed by the national administration.
Service providers
Here the new regional facility service organizations and some other national suppliers are considered:
the regional facility library services are non-profit privately owned 'foundations', financed by the buyers of their services and products.
These regional services can consist of automation, financial administration, acquisition, expedition, maintenance and management.
The regional services are a follow up of a part of the existing PBC's and work by order of the base libraries and third parties such as the provinces (for the execution of provincial policies) and the branch association.
The position of other (national) library suppliers does not change. NBD (the Netherlands Library Service) for common media-acquisition and supply, and Biblion BV (former NBLC central services and publisher) can offer their services.
Government levels
The governmental levels (municipalities, provinces and national government) fulfil an important role for the future library system:
the municipality is the commissioner and formulates its wishes related to the basic functions and additional functions of the base library and signs a contract with the base library.
The province is the director, producer of the library system; it stimulates and co-ordinates the co-operative networks, innovation and cultural shift within the province and can sign contracts with base libraries for additional tasks.
The national government is the final responsible level: it remains responsible for the control of efficiency, coherence, quality and plurality of the public library system.
The Governmental Library Consultation
This is a new body for consultation of the governmental levels about library policies.
The Governmental Library Consultation will meet 2-3 times a year to tune the strategic framework for library policies of the various governmental levels.
There will be a preparation by a civil servants group which can be advised by the branch association.
The Consultation is supported by a secretariat which monitors the progress in the execution of agreements, foresees bottlenecks and proposes amelioration.
The secretariat will be financed by the national government.
The report has been sent to various bodies for consultation.NBLC will arrange regional consultative meetings for local libraries, in order to prepare a reaction for its semi-annual assembly meeting in June 2000.
NBLC, 2000.
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4 June 2026
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