The library is slowly becoming a bit more popular again. Anyone who thinks of books and silence at the library has an old-fashioned image. Libraries are increasingly becoming a ‘living room’. In Vught you can play billiards, study, take courses and have a coffee. And of course borrow a book, but that almost seems to become an afterthought.
Library manager Elly van Hoof has seen the number of subscriptions drop significantly over the past ten years. “We had a huge dip, especially during corona.” But the number of members is increasing again. “We are now back to pre-corona numbers.” And that’s because the library is no longer just about the books.
“This way I can get out of my house for a while.”
Elly proudly shows off her library. In the middle of Vught, in a 140-year-old church, De Petrus Library has been located for five years. “Vught’s living room. Here you can buy something at the Wereldwinkel, play billiards, study, take courses, enjoy the art of the Vughts Museum and have a drink at the catering industry.” And everyone can enter for free. “You can’t think of a more beautiful place than this.”
Visitor Jan completely agrees with this. “I come here for fun, to have a look around. This way I can get out of my house for a while.” Jaap is studying a little further away. “I have exams on Monday and I don’t study very well at home, that’s why I’m here.”
“It has really become a village hall where you can meet each other.”
Yet Jaap does not have a subscription to the library. “I don’t read a lot, it’s just nice to study here.” Jan does have a subscription, but according to him the books are not that important. “It has really become a village hall where you can meet each other, that’s what it’s all about.”
Natasha also does not have a subscription and therefore does not come for the books. “This is just a very nice place. It is the atmosphere and the meetings why I come here, and to drink a cappuccino.” She believes that more places should have such a library, such a meeting center.
Library manager Elly can only agree with this. According to her, the Vught library is an example for the future. “In recent years, there have been major budget cuts in libraries, many of them have been closed. At the same time, we saw bigger and more beautiful libraries being built.”
“This is the future.”
The one in Vught, but also the LocHal in Tilburg is a good example of this. “This is much more than a library and we are convinced that that is the future.”
It was a boost for her that the king described the libraries as ‘important’ during the speech from the throne. “The government wants to restore the public library to as many places as possible, as a place where people can read, learn and meet each other,” the king said a week ago.
Visitor Jan continues his tour through the library: “Have a nice stroll around, look around a bit, read the newspaper, watch the billiards players and maybe also look at the books.”
