No, sisters Susan and Mariska de Vries (41 and 39) from Eindhoven do not feel like they belong anywhere. “Except at home.” And here, in the ‘Bibliotoop’ in Woensel-Noord, a small library and meeting place in the north of Eindhoven. It is an important place for the neighborhood, especially for the vulnerable residents. “It is often too exciting for us to participate in society, we both have our problems and therefore the threshold for doing something is quickly too high,” says Mariska.
Despite the anxiety disorder that Susan has been diagnosed with, and in which Mariska also recognizes herself, the sisters continue to visit the Bibliotoop, for fun and for volunteer work. “We are there so often, we are part of the furniture.” They are normally not there on Tuesday mornings, they say. But today the coordinator asked if they wanted to talk to the newspaper. “So I said to Susan: if it works, I will do it too,” says Mariska.
This morning they were short of seats at the walk-in consultation hours with various organizations, the sisters say. The police, housing association Woonbedrijf, Buurt in Bloei neighborhood team and the Digital Government Information Point were ready to answer questions from local residents. This evening the sisters expect to be busy again at ‘Grenzeloos Koken’, where Susan also helps. Local resident Fatima has already cooked in the kitchen this morning for the sixteen people who come to eat. Large pans of food are cooling. The spicy smell of couscous and vegetable stew still hangs in the air.
Locked out
Susan and Mariska are not alone in their feelings: 15 percent of Dutch people over the age of fifteen feel excluded from society, the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) wrote in new research on Thursday. This feeling is more common among migrants, women, people with a lower income or benefits, and people without theoretical training. The feeling of ‘little participation in associations and no paid work. It is the first time that CBS has mapped this out among Dutch people.
Feeling ‘left out’ is different from being lonely. Not all people who are lonely feel excluded, and not all excluded people feel lonely, says Tanja Traag, chief sociologist at CBS. “‘Not belonging’ is a complex feeling that is not solved by sometimes having a cup of coffee with someone. To belong you need an actual connection with others, who can give you the feeling that you can be seen and belong somewhere.”
It’s easier to walk in here. Here it is less noticeable that you need help
That is exactly what the Bibliotoop in Eindhoven wants to facilitate, says Nicole van Dongen, community librarian of the Eindhoven Library and coordinator of this location. The Library, which has been active in Woensel-Noord for a year, is a collaboration between the Eindhoven Library and three social organizations on behalf of the municipality. The collaboration started three years ago.
Van Dongen: “When someone comes in, we immediately give a warm welcome and ask if we can help with anything.” Having a chat is very important, she says, because not everyone says what they are actually there for. “You often see shame when people come in because of financial problems, for example. They don’t like to say that, and they don’t like to be seen by the authorities. It is easier to walk in here. Here it is less noticeable that you need help, because there is much more.”
People can go to the Library for all kinds of things: just a chat with fellow residents, help with language, government affairs or finances, a laptop or mobile phone. But there are also cooking clubs, workshops and games. Employees think along with visitors and refer people with certain requests for help to the right authorities.
‘They care about you’
Eindhoven has four such locations in different parts of the city: Woensel-Noord, Woensel-Zuid, Gestel and Tongelre. The location in Woensel-Noord is the busiest and is now expanding at the seams. It started with about 250 visitors per week. In the second week of January, seven hundred people already visited, activities were fully booked in no time and coffee and tea were in short supply.
Even during her short smoking breaks, Van Dongen has little rest. Throughout the day, visitors approach her with a question or to have a chat. “People come to me because they have heard of an activity, or smell the smell of food, for example. Then they want to know more about Unlimited Cooking, and then I tell them they can sign up. They often do that, and that’s how we quickly get new visitors.” People from the AZC in the area also visit regularly. This is where people come out of their isolation, she sees. “I would give everyone a library.”
Ten white shelving units contain books where people can borrow and return books for free – in good faith. “And the latter almost always happens,” says Van Dongen. Through the collaboration with the Eindhoven Library, people with a subscription can also borrow books from the library’s central collection. The youth collection is popular in this neighborhood, Van Dongen notes, as are books in Arabic, Chinese, Ukrainian and Polish.
Seyedjavad Talebi sits at a desk between the bookcases behind his laptop. Eight months ago he came to the Netherlands from Iran for “business” He feels at home in the Netherlands and thinks that nice people live there. The Bibliotoop contributes to that feeling, he says. “Everyone is hospitable and helpful. They also take care of expats.”
The fact that Van Dongen asked Talebi today how he was doing is good for him. Because he feels “not okay” because of the protests in Iran, he says in English. Van Dongen could tell that he was having a hard time, he thinks. “She is so nice. That shows that they really care about you here.”
In a meeting room around the corner from Talebi’s workplace, three elderly people are taking the ‘Click & Tap’ computer course under the guidance of volunteers from the neighborhood and employees of the central library. In a secure digital learning environment they learn, among other things, whether websites can be trusted and how to bid on Marktplaats. The only man in the group considers the question: ‘Is it smart to buy from this online store?’ After reading for a long time, he clicks on the correct answer: “No” – the offers are too high and the web address does not match the name of the website.
Between the activities there is a coming and going of young and old. With a cup of coffee or tea in one hand, the other regularly disappears into the tin of biscuits or the bowl of nuts on the reading table next to the entrance.
To leave
Before Susan discovered the Library, she was at home for two years and rarely went outside. She talked to her sister, was at home with her children or took care of her mother, who has since passed away. “It was no longer possible to work because of the fear. It got in the way a lot.” The sisters find “people scary” and are sometimes still “nauseated with fear” when they walk to the library. Yet they feel comfortable here.
Susan became convinced when she heard that anything is allowed and possible here, and that the coordinator had worked in mental health care. “He’s used to something, so when I heard that I wanted to try it. That’s how I came here.” Susan has been coming to the Bibliotoop for about a year and a half now, Mariska for six months.
“Nothing is necessary here, and if something doesn’t work out, that’s okay.” Their biggest success is organizing a Halloween celebration last October. About five hundred people showed up, they say proudly.
The Bibliotoop must move to another location in December 2026, according to a letter from the housing association. It is uncertain, says Van Dongen, but she has high hopes for a new location – that is what the Library and municipality are looking for. The sisters say it is very important that the Library remains in the neighborhood: “People need this, otherwise there will be a lot of loneliness. Then people will isolate themselves again.” That is why the two are starting a petition. “For the preservation of the library. We have noticed ourselves how important it is.”
Right: Bibliotope coordinator Nicole van Dongen.
Photo Merlin Daleman
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