A new grant for libraries is exceptionally high in the smallest Dutch municipalities. For some municipalities, 2 to 35 times as much money looms as with the standard scheme. But uncertainty about getting the money and the ‘cliff year’ 2026 still cause little cheering.
It concerns a grant that the cabinet announced last year during Budget Day. The purpose of the sum of money is to prepare libraries for the statutory duty of care that will come into effect in June 2026.
The new law obliges libraries to offer more than just books. “Think of supporting education, offering knowledge and information, or imparting art and culture through trial lessons and workshops,” Suzanne Verboeket tells NU.nl. She is director at Bibliotheken Rijn en Venen, which includes the municipality of Zoeterwoude (10,000 inhabitants).
The government wants full-fledged libraries. “A cabinet with books on the street is of course not a library,” says Verboeket. To help municipalities expand their libraries, they will soon receive 2.95 euros per inhabitant. But a minimum amount of 100,000 euros has been reserved for all municipalities. Even for the very smallest municipalities. Converted, Zoeterwoude will therefore receive an extra 70,000 euros.
Depending on what you already have as a library, it will be decided how the money will be spent. For example, it is possible to expand the opening hours or hire more staff with the money. Renovating the building is also one of the possibilities (especially for smaller libraries).
For some municipalities, the only question is whether they will actually get the money. The national government asks municipalities to spend the grant on the libraries, but this is not an obligation. Not even in Zoeterwoude. “The municipality has not yet made a decision,” says Verboeket.
Clarity is needed
Jolianne Hellemans from Bibliotheken Noord Fryslân, which includes the municipality of Schiermonnikoog (972 inhabitants), says that municipalities often have more options. “They have to decide whether the money goes to the swimming pool or to the library, for example,” she says.
“It is legally required that we make our libraries fully-fledged. But there is no guarantee that extra money will go there.” According to her, the uncertainty about whether or not the money can be spent is difficult for many libraries.
Hellemans is therefore happy that the nine municipalities of her library group have decided to work together. For them, the money will in any case go to the libraries in 2025. “You could even say that the municipalities with more money help us to pay for other libraries,” says Hellemans.
But even if all these grants were actually spent on the libraries, they will still face the so-called cliff year in 2026. In that year, municipalities will have 2.4 billion euros less to spend due to cuts from the central government.
Smaller libraries in particular fear that they will not be able to implement the planned renovations or adjustments to the library. “We are now building something that was broken down. A lot of money is now being invested in libraries, but it is still unclear how things will continue from next year,” says Hellemans.
Possibilities can be great
Margriet Overmeyer from Bibliotheken Z-O-U-T (with Renswoude and its 5,755 inhabitants as one of the four municipalities that the library falls under) also lives between hope and fear because of 2026 and the doubt about receiving the grant. “As long as that is not clear, it is difficult for larger municipalities to let the money go to the libraries,” she says.
Nevertheless, Overmeyer sees opportunities to improve the libraries in her region. Especially in Renswoude they are enthusiastic and can use every euro for their upcoming project: converting the local sports hall into a multifunctional center with a library, among other things.
That is a big job. “Think of renovating the building and placing larger windows,” says Overmeyer. “But we also want to create more spacious opening hours and organize all kinds of events. Think of municipal council elections, dialogue evenings or innovative meetings.”