Public libraries
Explanation of symbols
Dataset is not available.
This table presents an overview of the number of public libraries, the number of volumes in collections, the number of volumes lent out to the public, registered users, the staff working for public libraries and their operating costs and revenues.
Data available from: 1999.
Status of the figures:
The figures for 2022 are preliminary. All other figures are final.
Changes as of 15 September 2023:
The final figures for 2021 have been published.
The preliminary figures for 2022 have been added.
When will new figures be published?
Preliminary figures for 2023 and final figure for 2022 will be published in July 2024.
Description topics
- Number of libraries
- Volume collections
- The overall collection including material lent out and specific sub collections for educational purposes, for lending counters in hospitals, homes for the elderly, etc. excluding mobile libraries.
From 2006 onwards there are no figures on magazine single issues and other collections due to a lack of quality in the underlying data. E-books are excluded from these numbers.
More information on the digital public library can be found in the table explanation.- Total volume collections
- The sum of the sub collections books, sheet music, audiovisual materials, magazine single issues and other collections.
From 2006 onwards, magazine single issues and other collections are not included in Total volume collections.
- Books
- Physical books. E-books are excluded from these numbers.
More information on the digital public library can be found in the table explanation.- Total number of books
- Books for adults >= 18 yrs
- Total books for adults >=18 yrs
- Fiction
- Stories mainly derived from the imagination of the writer. For example: fairy tales, novels, plays, poetry and comic books are often classified as fiction.
- Non-fiction
- Texts mainly used to convey information. For example: informative books in general, dictionaries, essays, scientific works, study books and travel guides. Newspaper and magazine articles are classified as non-fiction as well.
From 2008 onwards including reference books.
- Books for young people =< 17 yrs
- Total books for young people =< 17 yrs
- Fiction
- Stories mainly derived from the imagination of the writer. For example: fairy tales, novels, plays, poetry and comic books are often classified as fiction.
- Non-fiction
- Texts mainly used to convey information. For example: informative books in general, dictionaries, essays, scientific works, study books and travel guides. Newspaper and magazine articles are classified as non-fiction as well.
From 2008 onwards including reference books.
- Sheet music
- Audiovisual material
- Total audiovisual material
- Music CDs
- DVDs
- Other audiovisual material
- Microfiches, software, educational material, works of art and small material, (e.g. newspaper cuttings, brochures, wall posters, etc.).
From 2008 onwards including CD-ROMs, CD-Is.
- Volumes lent out to the public
- Total number of volumes lent out to the public by libraries, excluding mobile libraries and excluding e-books. More information on the digital public library can be found here in the table explanation.
From 2006 onwards there are no figures on magazine single issues and other material due to a lack of quality in the underlying data. In 2008 libraries adjusted their reported data on volumes lent out to the public for the number of extensions of items already lent out. Because of this the number of volumes lent out to the public is somewhat lower than would have been the case without the adjustment.- Total volumes lent out to the public
- The sum of volumes lent out to the public of the sub collections books (excluding e-books), sheet music, audiovisual materials, magazine single issues and other collections.
From 2006 onwards magazine single issues and other material are not included in total volumes lent out to the public.
- Books
- Total volumes of books
- Books for adults >= 18 yrs
- Total books for adults >= 18 yrs
- Fiction
- Stories mainly derived from the imagination of the writer. For example: fairy tales, novels, plays, poetry and comic books are often classified as fiction.
- Non-fiction
- Texts mainly used to convey information. For example: informative books in general, dictionaries, essays, scientific works, study books and travel guides. Newspaper and magazine articles are classified as non-fiction as well.
From 2008 onwards including reference books.
- Books for young people =< 17 yrs
- Total books for young people =< 17 yrs
- Fiction
- Stories mainly derived from the imagination of the writer. For example: fairy tales, novels, plays, poetry and comic books are often classified as fiction.
- Non-fiction
- Texts mainly used to convey information. For example: informative books in general, dictionaries, essays, scientific works, study books and travel guides. Newspaper and magazine articles are classified as non-fiction as well.
From 2008 onwards including reference books.
- Sheet music
- Audiovisual material
- Total audiovisual material
- Music CDs
- DVDs
- CD-ROMs, CD-Is
- Starting 2008 CD-ROMs, CD-Is are part of the category other audiovisual material.
- Other audiovisual material
- Microfiches, software, educational material, works of art and small material (e.g. newspaper cuttings, brochures, wall posters, etc.).
From 2008 onwards including CD-ROMs, CD-Is.
- Registered users
- Memberships linked to a person. From 2015 onwards, users of mobile libraries are included in this number. Collective memberships (schools, homes for the elderly, etc.), trial subscriptions, and/or other fixed places where books can be lend, are excluded.
- Total registered users
- Young people =< 17 yrs
- Adults >=18 yrs
- Staff and volunteers
- Employed staff, non-employed staff and volunteers.
For the years 2004 and 2005 there are no figures due to a lack of quality in the underlying data.
From 2006 onwards there are only figures for total staff (e.g. employed staff plus non-employed staff).- Total staff
- Employed staff plus non-employed staff.
For the years 2004 and 2005 there are no figures due to a lack of quality in the underlying data.- Total number of persons
- Number of full-timers
- Full-time employees hold a full-time job.
According to the collective employment agreement for libraries, a full-time working week contains 36 hours.
- Number of part-timers
- Part-time employees do not hold a full-time job.
According to the collective employment agreement for libraries, a full-time working week contains 36 hours.
- Number of full-time equivalents
- Working hours converted to full-time equivalents.
For example: two persons both working 4 hours a day, add up to one full-time equivalent.
- Volunteers
- For the years 2004 up to and including 2011 there are no figures due to a lack of quality in the underlying data.
- Total number of persons
- Operating costs and revenues
- Operating revenues excluding withdrawals from reserves and negative balances.
Operating costs excluding transfers to reserves and positive balances.- Revenues
- Excluding withdrawals from reserves and negative balances.
- Total revenues
- Including revenues from provincial library centres for services rendered to associated public libraries and independent libraries.
A large part of the staff employed by provincial libraries is lent out on a more or less permanent basis to other libraries. Until 2004 the costs of wages for this staff were accounted for by the provincial libraries and the costs of hiring this staff were accounted for by the other libraries. The wage costs for the provincial libraries were accounted for as costs of employed staff, while the costs for the other libraries were accounted for as costs of non-employed staff. The costs charged on by the provincial libraries to the other libraries for the staff they hired,
were accounted for by the provincial libraries as revenues from on-charged costs of staff.
Starting 2004 the staff that is formally employed by provincial libraries but lent out to other libraries, is regarded as staff employed by these other libraries. As a result of this, the costs of non-employed staff over 2004 are substantially lower than over 2003, as are the total costs over 2004.
At the same time Revenues from on-charged costs of staff do no longer occur in the summary of operating revenues. As a result, the total revenues from on-charged costs over 2004 is substantially lower than over 2003, as are the total revenues over 2004.
- Revenues from users
- Membership fees plus the fees for lending items of the collections.
- Revenues from mobile services
- Revenue from mobile libraries.
- Grants and contributions
- Total grants and contributions
- Revenues from on-charged costs
- Revenues for services (excluding mobile library services) that are not amongst the basic functions of public libraries (e.g. activities, school libraries, renting out spaces).
Until 2004, this topic referred to revenues from provincial library centres for services rendered to associated public libraries and independent libraries.
Until 2004 the number included de revenues of provincial library centres for employed staff, who were lent out on a more or less permanent basis to other libraries.
Starting 2004 the staff that is formally employed by provincial libraries but lent out to other libraries, is regarded as staff employed by these other libraries. As a result of this, the costs of non-employed staff over 2004 are substantially lower than over 2003, as are the total costs over 2004.
At the same time revenues from on-charged costs of staff do no longer occur in the summary of operating revenues. As a result, the total revenues from on-charged costs over 2004 are substantially lower than over 2003, as are the total revenues over 2004.
Also starting 2004, there is no longer a distinction made between the different sources of revenues from on-charged costs.- Total revenues from on-charged costs
- Revenues for services (excluding mobile library services) that are not amongst the basic functions of public libraries (e.g. activities, school libraries, renting out spaces).
Until 2004, this topic referred to revenues from provincial library centres for services rendered to associated public libraries and independent libraries.
Until 2004 the number included de revenues of provincial library centres for employed staff, who were lent out on a more or less permanent basis to other libraries.
Starting 2004 the staff that is formally employed by provincial libraries but lent out to other libraries, is regarded as staff employed by these other libraries. As a result of this, the costs of non-employed staff over 2004 are substantially lower than over 2003, as are the total costs over 2004.
At the same time revenues from on-charged costs of staff do no longer occur in the summary of operating revenues. As a result, the total revenues from on-charged costs over 2004 are substantially lower than over 2003, as are the total revenues over 2004.
Also starting 2004, there is no longer a distinction made between the different sources of revenues from on-charged costs.
- Interest received
- Other revenues
- Costs
- Excluding transfers to reserves and positive balances.
- Total costs
- Up until 2005 including payments of associated public libraries and independent libraries to provincial library centres for services rendered.
A large part of the staff employed by provincial libraries is lent out on a more or less permanent basis to other libraries. Until 2004 the costs of wages for this staff were accounted for by the provincial libraries and the costs of hiring this staff were accounted for by the other
libraries. The wage costs for the provincial libraries were accounted for as costs of Employed staff, while the costs for the other libraries were accounted for as costs of non-employed staff.
The costs charged on by the provincial libraries to the other libraries for the staff they hired, were accounted for by the provincial libraries as Revenues from on-charged costs of staff.
Starting 2004 the staff that is formally employed by provincial libraries but lent out to other libraries, is regarded as staff employed by these other libraries. As a result of this, the costs of Non-employed staff over 2004 are substantially lower than over 2003, as are the total costs over 2004.
At the same time Revenues from on-charged costs of staff do no longer occur in the summary of operating revenues. As a result, the Total revenues from on-charged costs over 2004 are substantially lower than over 2003, as are the total revenues over 2004.
- Housing costs
- Until 2004 excluding mortgage payments and depreciation of property.
Starting 2004 including mortgage payments and depreciation of property.
- Employed staff
- Non-employed staff
- A large part of the staff employed by provincial libraries is lent out on a more or less permanent basis to other libraries. Until 2004 the costs of wages for this staff were accounted for by the provincial libraries and the costs of hiring this staff were accounted for by the other
llibraries. The wage costs for the provincial libraries were accounted for as costs of employed staff while the costs for the other libraries were accounted for as costs of non-employed staff.
The costs charged on by the provincial libraries to the other libraries for the staff they hired, were accounted for by the provincial libraries as revenues from on-charged costs of staff.
Starting 2004 the staff that is formally employed by provincial libraries but lent out to other libraries, is regarded as staff employed by these other libraries. As a result of this, the costs of non-employed staff over 2004 are substantially lower than over 2003, as are the total costs over 2004.
At the same time revenues from on-charged costs of staff do no longer occur in the summary of operating revenues. As a result, the Total revenues from on-charged costs over 2004 are substantially lower than over 2003, as are the total revenues over 2004.
- Administration and ICT
- Media costs
- Interest paid
- Until 2004 including mortgage rate payments.
Starting 2004 interest payments and depreciations are no longer accounted for separately, but form an integral part of the debit item they are directly related to (such as housing).
- Depreciations
- Until 2004 including depreciation of property.
Starting 2004 interest payments and depreciations are no longer accounted for separately, but form an integral part of the debit item they are directly related to (such as housing).
- Other costs
- Management and organisation costs, insurances, exceptional costs, etc.