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Trends in the Dutch and Finnish library landscape

Sander van Kempen (National Library of the Netherlands, Den Haag, Netherlands)
Anne van den Dool (National Library of the Netherlands, Den Haag, Netherlands)
Pirkko Lindberg (Tampere City Library, Tampere, Finland)
Leena Parviainen (Tampere City Library, Tampere, Finland)

Library Management

ISSN: 0143-5124

Article publication date: 14 July 2020

Issue publication date: 24 February 2021

411

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to provide an overview of the current situation as it relates to library acts and prominent usage trends in public libraries in The Netherlands and Finland.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach takes the form of a review of the relevant legislation, as well as statistical analysis from national library data in The Netherlands and Finland.

Findings

The findings suggest that while we can see a decrease in physical lending and literacy, we also see an increase in the number of visitors, digital lending as well as activities and events. In addition, in The Netherlands, financial support is decreasing, while in Finland, expenditures of public libraries are growing.

Originality/value

The paper draws upon various viewpoints from public libraries in The Netherlands and Scandinavia, focusing on Finland.

Keywords

Citation

van Kempen, S., van den Dool, A., Lindberg, P. and Parviainen, L. (2021), "Trends in the Dutch and Finnish library landscape", Library Management, Vol. 42 No. 3, pp. 167-183. https://doi.org/10.1108/LM-03-2020-0040

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited

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