15 Sep 2023 at 00:06
Dutch libraries are on their way back after a few tough corona years. While the number of libraries and books borrowed in 2022 was still smaller than in 2019, the number of organized activities was not so great in years.
The consequences of the corona pandemic were noticeable at the local library: membership numbers fell, books were more often left unused, the library could organize less and e-books became more popular.
In 2022, all those developments went in the other direction. The number of library members grew by 100,000 to 3.4 million, while they borrowed more than a third more books (53.3 million).
In both cases, this was still below the level before the corona pandemic. In 2019, Dutch libraries had 3.6 million members and lent out 61.1 million books. While e-books increased in popularity during the pandemic, they were lent less in 2022.
Libraries still have fewer members and lend less than in 2019, but are busier than ever organizing activities. The 1,270 Dutch libraries organized 247,000 activities last year.
This is not only more than in the corona years, but also significantly more than in 2019. The number of activities increased, particularly in the field of education and development. Consider, for example, computer lessons for the elderly or reading sessions for children.
Bron: CBS
Image: ANP
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LibrariesInland
2023-09-14 22:06:35
#Library #corona #Domestic
