Hoogeveen library. Photo: Archive photo Mediahuis Noord
From this summer, anyone under the age of 18 can become a member of the library for free throughout the Netherlands. The Senate today reached an agreement following a proposal from the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.
The ‘Library Act’ currently states that municipalities can request a contribution from members under the age of 18. This amount may be a maximum of half of what adults pay for a subscription.
However, the evaluation of the Library Act shows that these libraries attract fewer members under the age of 18. And that while reading among young people is actually encouraged in primary and secondary schools.
With the amendment of the law, anyone under the age of 18 can use everything the library has to offer free of charge from 1 July.