Bibliotheek Emmen

What Bibliotheek Emmen does

Facet (legal name: Stichting Openbare Bibliotheken en Kenniscentrum Kunst en Cultuur in de Gemeinde Emmen) is a Dutch non-profit public library and cultural center foundation serving the municipality of Emmen in the province of Drenthe, Netherlands. The organization operates 12 locations — four full library branches in Emmen centrum, Klazienaveen, Emmer-Compascuum, and Nieuw-Amsterdam, plus eight service points distributed across residential neighborhoods and outlying villages. Facet holds ANBI (Algemeen Nut Beogende Instelling) public-benefit status from the Dutch Tax Authority, is led by Director-CEO Nicole Stiekema under a five-member Supervisory Board, and recorded 393,356 visits across all locations in 2019.

The service portfolio extends well beyond traditional book lending. Core offerings include digital collections via the Online Bibliotheek platform and PressReader (newspapers and magazines from 100 countries in 60 languages), adult literacy and digital-skills training through Taalpunt Emmen (Klik & Tik, Digisterker, SeniorWeb courses), early childhood reading support via VoorleesExpress (20-week volunteer program), government digital-services assistance through the Informatiepunt Digitale Overheid (IDO), home delivery for housebound patrons (Boek aan Huis), makerspace programming at Facet Lab and STROOMlab (3D printers, VR headsets, Cricut cutting machines, soldering stations), cultural education delivered through the cultureel ondernemer school network, meeting and event space rentals, and the Facet Café. The technology backbone rests on the Biblionet Drenthe shared library management system, with no proprietary AI/ML layer identified.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid mix: municipal subsidies from Gemeente Emmen (which commissions programs like Taalpunt), tiered library memberships (free for under-18s; annual and monthly subscriptions for adults), the Bieb for Friends individual donor program (€5–€10 per year), the Bieb voor Business corporate sponsorship program, and pay-as-you-go room rentals (€47–€140 per half-day across four venue tiers). A large volunteer network extends service capacity into home delivery, family literacy visits, and language tutoring. A forthcoming Mecanoo-designed new cultural building at Mondriaanplein represents the most significant recent infrastructure commitment.

Name

Bibliotheek Emmen

Legal name

Stichting Openbare Bibliotheken en Kenniscentrum Kunst en Cultuur in de Gemeinde Emmen

Website

https://facet-emmen.nl

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Facet is a Dutch non-profit public library and cultural center foundation operating 12 locations across Emmen municipality, delivering book lending, digital-skills training, literacy programs, makerspace access, and community services funded primarily by municipal subsidies and membership fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Library Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Assistive Technology & Accessible Digital Skills (EDAAAIAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Open Educational Resources (OER) & Curriculum Repositories (EDAFACAJ), Open Accessibility & Inclusive OER (UDL, alt formats) (EDAGAJAJ), Accessible Content & Document Remediation Tools (EPUB/PDF/Video Accessibility, Alt-Text, WCAG Workflows) (EDAFAKAE), Accessibility, Accommodations & Assistive Services (EDALAFAN), End-User Helpdesk & Service Desk (Students/Faculty/Staff) (EDALAMAA), Accessibility, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) & Inclusive Content Services (EDAGAKAJ)

Keywords

• Public library services
• Digital literacy training
• Community cultural programs
• Makerspace workshops
• Book lending services

Headquarters

HQ city

Emmen

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Library Membership Fees: Annual and monthly subscription fees for library membership. Members over 30 pay subscription fees. Children and young adults up to 18 years receive free membership. Various tiers include basic annual subscription, complete annual subscription, monthly subscription, and e-books complete online subscription.
2. Government Funding (ANBI): As a registered Algemeen Nut Beogende Instelling (ANBI), Facet receives government funding. The municipality of Emmen subsidizes projects like Taalpunt Emmen. This public benefit status also makes donations tax-deductible.
3. Space Rental and Facility Services: Rental of meeting rooms (Amethist, Saffier, Amber, Facet Café), work/study spaces, and equipment (sound systems, lighting, mobile stage). Catering services also available.
4. Friends/Donor Programs: Bieb for Friends membership (€10/year or €5/year for under 30) with benefits. Business partnership program (Bieb voor Business) for corporate sponsors supporting projects in literacy, sustainability, and health.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Bibliotheek Emmen (Facet) is a public library and cultural center foundation that lends physical and digital books, newspapers, and magazines, and delivers free language, digital skills, and cultural education programs to residents of the Emmen municipality. Services are distributed across four full library branches and eight neighborhood service points, supplemented by volunteer-driven programs (Taalpunt, VoorleesExpress, Boek aan Huis), makerspace access (Facet Lab, STROOMlab), and government digital helpdesk support (IDO).

Product overview

Bibliotheek Emmen (operating as Facet) is a public library system serving the municipality of Emmen, Netherlands, functioning as both a community library and knowledge center for arts and culture. The organization operates a main branch in Emmen centrum plus four subsidiary libraries (Klazienaveen, Emmer-Compascuum, Nieuw-Amsterdam) and eight service points across residential areas. Core offerings include physical book lending, digital collections via the Online Bibliotheek platform, and international digital media through PressReader. The portfolio extends to educational programs including Taalpunt (language and digital skills), the VoorleesExpress (early childhood literacy), and a makerspace ecosystem combining Facet Lab and STROOMlab. Additional services encompass Boek aan Huis delivery for homebound patrons, workspace rentals, a café, and government digital assistance (IDO). The organization positions itself as a community network facilitating learning, meeting, and development for all residents.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Facet Lab: A creative makerspace for young people where they can experiment with tools like 3D printers, VR headsets, drawing tablets, and engage in activities like painting, screen printing, and soldering.
• VoorleesExpress
• Taalpunt Emmen
• Facet Café

Products and services

• Boeken en Collectie (Book and Collection Lending)

Quantifiable outcome

• 393,356 annual visitors across all locations (2019 data)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• Sedna EmmencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Social welfare organization and key partner in Taalpunt Emmen, working together to improve basic skills (reading, writing, arithmetic, digital) among adults in the municipality. Sedna provides awareness training for employers and coordinates with welfare services.
• Drenthe CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Educational institution providing formal adult education programs and language courses as part of Taalpunt Emmen. Offers longer-term trajectories and certified training for employees.
• EMCO-groepcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Partner in Taalpunt Emmen collaboration, contributing to the joint effort to improve basic skills among adults in Emmen.
• PRO EmmencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Partner in Taalpunt Emmen collaboration, contributing to the joint effort to improve basic skills among adults in Emmen.
• Gemeente Emmen (Municipality)coreOthers · 1 January 2016Municipality of Emmen provides subsidy for Taalpunt Emmen project and is the commissioning party for 'Emmen Telt mee met Taal' initiative. Facet serves as the lead organization (penvoerder).
• Stichting Lezen & SchrijvenminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016National foundation providing advisory support to Taalpunt Emmen. Advises on literacy programs and best practices for improving basic skills.
• Biblionet DrenthecoreTechnology or IntegrationRegional library network providing shared library management system, catalog infrastructure, and digital services for Drenthe libraries including Facet.
• Schools in EmmencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of primary and secondary schools receiving cultural education through the cultureel ondernemer (cultural entrepreneur) program, coordinated by Facet advisors.
• MecanoomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm designing the new cultural building 'Facet' at Mondriaanplein in Emmen, representing a major infrastructure investment in the library's future.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bibliotheek Rotterdam: Rotterdam's public library foundation providing lending, cultural programming, digital literacy, and makerspace services to Rotterdam residents. Directly comparable non-profit library operator with similar ANBI funding model and community programming approach.
• Stichting Openbare Bibliotheek Amsterdam (OBA): Amsterdam's public library foundation; comparable as a Dutch ANBI non-profit library organization offering lending, programming, makerspaces, and digital literacy services to a municipality. Similar service portfolio and ANBI status, though at significantly larger scale.

Emerging players

• SeniorWeb: Dutch organization providing digital literacy courses to seniors; already a Facet partner. Comparable as an adjacent digital-skills provider serving overlapping target populations (seniors, low digital literacy adults) with curriculum that competes with or complements Taalpunt.
• LibraryIdea (formerly Digitaal Loket): Dutch provider of IDO (Informatiepunt Digitale Overheid) helpdesk services for public libraries. Comparable as a specialist provider in the same digital government assistance vertical that Facet operates, offering shared services to library consortia.
• Stichting Lezen & Schrijven: National Dutch foundation focused on literacy and basic skills; already a Facet partner. Comparable as an organization addressing the same target population (adults with low literacy/digital skills) and competing for the same municipal and national literacy funding pools.

Broad incumbents

• Koninklijke Bibliotheek (KB): The Dutch national library and sector organization supporting all Dutch public libraries including via Biblionet infrastructure. Comparable as the umbrella organization that underpins Facet's catalog and digital services through shared infrastructure.
• Online Bibliotheek: National digital lending platform for e-books, audiobooks, and digital magazines used by Facet members. Comparable as a channel/substitute for traditional library lending and a technology partner that also competes for share of reading time.

Others

• Biblionet Drenthe: Regional library network providing shared catalog and management infrastructure to Drenthe libraries including Facet. Comparable as a closely integrated technology/operations partner and the shared backbone for library services across the province.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/biebemmen
• Facebookfacebook.com/FacetEmmen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/facet-emmen
• Instagraminstagram.com/facet.emmen
• TikToktiktok.com/@facet.emmen

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

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 Bibliotheek Emmen