News item | 22-02-2022 | 14:00
From 1 July 2022, anyone under the age of 18 throughout the Netherlands – including on the BES islands – can become a free member of the library. The Senate has today approved this proposal from the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science
The ‘Library Act’ still states that municipalities can request a contribution from members under the age of 18. The amount may then be a maximum of half of what an adult pays.
State Secretary Günay Uslu (Media and Culture): “For young people, costs should not be a barrier to going to the library. However, our evaluation of the Library Act shows that these libraries have fewer members under the age of 18. And that while we want to stimulate reading among the youth. With this amendment to the law, from 1 July all young people can use everything the library has to offer them physically and online free of charge: from books to music, and from taking courses to meeting other young people.”