de Bibliotheek Zuid-Kennemerland

What de Bibliotheek Zuid-Kennemerland does

De Bibliotheek Zuid-Kennemerland, formally Stichting Bibliotheek Zuid-Kennemerland, is a Dutch public-library foundation incorporated in the Netherlands and registered with KvK-Haarlem, holding ANBI (Algemeen Nut Beogende Instelling) status. It operates 10 physical branches across five municipalities in the Zuid-Kennemerland region (Haarlem Centrum/Noord/Schalkwijk/Oost, Zandvoort, Bloemendaal, Heemstede, and Hillegom), serving general consumers, educational institutions, language learners, homebound individuals, and corporate/community users of its room rental facilities. The organization is led by Director Roxane van Acker and is powered by paid staff plus 150+ volunteers delivering community programs including VoorleesExpress, Bibliotheek aan Huis, Taalsoos, Leesclub, Digitaal Sterk!, and BoekStart.

Name

de Bibliotheek Zuid-Kennemerland

Legal name

Stichting Bibliotheek Zuid-Kennemerland

Website

https://bibliotheekzuidkennemerland.nl

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

De Bibliotheek Zuid-Kennemerland is a Dutch ANBI-status public library foundation operating 10 branches across five municipalities, serving regional consumers, schools, and community groups with physical and digital lending and educational programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Library Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921), Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (5192), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Library Operations & Community Branch Management (EDAEAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Digital Library & Electronic Resources Operations (e-Resources, Repositories, Licensing) (EDAEAGAF), Public Libraries & Information Services (BPAIACAO)

Keywords

• Public library services
• Community reading programs
• Digital book lending
• Children's literacy programs
• Cultural community engagement

Headquarters

HQ city

Haarlem, Noord-Holland

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Library Membership Subscriptions: The library generates revenue primarily through membership subscription fees across multiple tiers (Basis, Standaard, Compleet, Vriend, Flexibel, and Zomerabonnement). Members pay annually or monthly (Flexibel) for borrowing rights, digital access, and member benefits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Stichting Bibliotheek Zuid-Kennemerland operates a public library system serving residents of the Zuid-Kennemerland region through 10 branches across 5 municipalities. Its core offering is the lending of physical and digital books and media, supported by membership subscriptions, free children's access up to age 18, and community/educational programming delivered by staff and 150+ volunteers.

Product overview

Bibliotheek Zuid-Kennemerland is a public library service operating as a single unified platform with multiple integrated offerings across physical and digital channels. The core service provides physical library locations with book collections, media lending, and community programs, supplemented by digital products including Mijn Bibliotheek online account portal, Iguana mobile app, e-books, audiobooks, and online courses through the Online Bibliotheek platform. Additional products include educational services (childcare education program, Dutch language learning, digital literacy), reading programs (VoorleesExpress, Bibliotheek aan Huis, summer reading), community spaces (Meemaakt Podium with garden, room rental, work/study spaces), and sustainability initiatives (plant and seed library). The membership structure includes Standard, Complete, Flexible, and Friends subscription tiers, with most services included in Complete membership while Basic subscription covers essential borrowing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Meemaakpodium: A community makerspace and activity hub within the library, featuring workshops, events, and the Meemaaktuin (community garden).
• Digitaal Sterk!
• Bibliotheek aan Huis
• VoorleesExpress
• Taalsoos
• BoekStart

Products and services

• Basis membership Entry-level subscription tier providing adults with access to library lending services at Stichting Bibliotheek Zuid-Kennemerland branches and online.
• Standaard membership Standard subscription tier providing adult members with standard lending privileges across the library system.
• Compleet membership Full-service subscription tier providing adult members with the widest range of lending privileges and library services.
• Vriend membership Supporter/friend subscription tier for members who wish to financially support the library foundation while accessing library services.
• Flexibel membership Flexible subscription tier providing adult members with usage terms suited to variable or intermittent library use.
• Zomerabonnement (summer membership) Seasonal summer subscription providing access to library services during the summer holiday period.
• Children's free membership (up to age 18) Free library membership offered to all children up to age 18, providing access to lending and children's programming.
• Community and educational programs Educational, literacy, and cultural programs delivered at library branches, supporting children, families, and adult community members.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5 branches achieved gold Duurzaam Gastvrij (Sustainable Hospitality) certification
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Koninklijke Bibliotheek (National Library of the Netherlands)coreTechnology or IntegrationThe library exchanges limited data with the Koninklijke Bibliotheek when members use onlinebibliotheek.nl for e-books and audiobooks, or when creating accounts on bibliotheek.nl. Only the library card number and email address are shared for authentication and membership verification purposes.
• Stichting Lezen & Schrijven (Foundation for Reading & Writing)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization supporting the library's volunteer programs for language and literacy support, including the VoorleesExpress and other low-literacy intervention programs.
• Netwerk Basisvaardigheden (Basic Skills Network)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork partner providing support for spoken language (Taal in Beweging) programs and basic skills education, including advice surgeries.
• Duurzaam Gastvrij (Sustainable Hospitality certification body)minorOthersCertification program for sustainable operations in the leisure/hospitality sector, through which 5 of the library's branches achieved gold-level certification.
• SpaarnelandenminorOthersLocal utility company that processes waste collected during community sustainability events, such as the plastic fishing activities organized in partnership with De Pinguïn.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bibliotheek Den Haag: The Hague public library operating multiple branches and a comparable mix of physical lending, digital services, and educational/community programs. Direct peer in another large Dutch municipality with similar revenue model and ANBI status.
• Bibliotheek Rotterdam: Rotterdam's public library foundation serving a comparable urban-region catchment with branch-based lending, digital services, and educational programming. Direct peer operating an analogous membership and program structure in another major Dutch metro area.
• Bibliotheek Amsterdam: Amsterdam's public library system operating multiple branches across the city. Direct peer as another Dutch municipal public library offering membership-based lending, digital collections, educational programs, and community activities under a similar Stichting/ANBI structure.
• Bibliotheek Eindhoven: Eindhoven's public library serving the Brainport region with branch-based lending, digital services, and community programming. Direct peer operating a similar membership and program structure in another Dutch city-region.
• Bibliotheek Utrecht: Utrecht's public library foundation offering branch-based lending, digital resources, and educational programming in another Dutch province. Direct peer with a closely comparable service portfolio and operational model.

Emerging players

• Online Bibliotheek: National digital lending platform for e-books and audiobooks operated by Koninklijke Bibliotheek, accessible to all Dutch library members. An emerging digital channel with partial functional overlap to Bibliotheek Zuid-Kennemerland's physical lending, but limited to digital content.

Broad incumbents

• Koninklijke Bibliotheek (KB): The National Library of the Netherlands, which operates the Online Bibliotheek (onlinebibliotheek.nl) e-book/audiobook lending platform used by all Dutch public libraries including Bibliotheek Zuid-Kennemerland. Functions as a national-level incumbent and platform/technology backbone for the regional library network.

Others

• ProBiblio: Regional support organization for public libraries in North Holland and Flevoland, providing collection management, logistics, and advisory services. Adjacent enabler that many regional libraries (including those in Zuid-Kennemerland) rely on for back-office functions and shared services.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Bieb023
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bibliotheek-haarlem-en-omstreken
• Instagraminstagram.com/bibliotheekzuidkennemerland
• TikToktiktok.com/@bibliotheekzk

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about de Bibliotheek Zuid-Kennemerland