Bibliotheek De Groene Venen

What Bibliotheek De Groene Venen does

Bibliotheek De Groene Venen is a Dutch foundation (Stichting) that operates a regional public library system serving the municipalities of Zuidplas, Waddinxveen, and Bodegraven-Reeuwijk in South Holland. The organization runs seven branch locations and delivers core library services — physical lending of books, DVDs, magazines, and audiobooks — alongside digital lending through the national Online Bibliotheek platform and a per-loan mobile channel (BiebApp) developed by technology partner Probiblio. Membership is tiered (Digital Only at €45/year, Standard at €55.50/year, Comfort Plus at €84/year, Flex at €5.25/month), with free access for youth under 18 and a 25% Rotterdam Pass discount. The service portfolio extends beyond reading into Digi-Taalhuis Dutch-language coaching, Infopunt Digitale Overheid navigation of e-government services, Biebprinten print/copy services, public computer/internet access, home delivery for immobile customers, and school library partnerships via De Bibliotheek op School (dBOS).

The underlying technology stack is conventional rather than proprietary: the Wise-OCLC catalog system handles circulation and discovery, while the Probiblio BiebApp enables smartphone-based, membership-free per-item lending at €2.00 per loan. Strategic partnerships with JobOn (career services), IDO (digital government), De Papierwinkel, De Formulierenbrigade, and De Postkamer (volunteer civic-form assistance) embed the library in a broader municipal social-services ecosystem. Revenue is generated through subscription fees, usage-based pay-per-loan transactions, fines, printing charges, vacation-bag kits, and institutional subscriptions, with the bulk of operating funding historically flowing from municipal subsidies (undisclosed in the source data). The organization holds the "gecertificeerde Bibliotheek" predicate — a third-party auditor certification required for participation in the Dutch national library network — most recently renewed in October 2017, and is governed by a five-member Raad van Toezicht (Supervisory Board) chaired by Kees de Jong.

Name

Bibliotheek De Groene Venen

Legal name

Stichting Bibliotheek De Groene Venen

Website

https://bibliotheekdegroenevenen.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bibliotheek De Groene Venen is a Dutch nonprofit foundation operating seven public library branches across the Zuidplas, Waddinxveen, and Bodegraven-Reeuwijk municipalities, providing lending, e-books, Dutch-language learning, and digital-government support to the general public under a tiered subscription model with free youth access.

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)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Public Libraries & Information Services (BPAIACAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF), Library, Reading Motivation & Independent Reading Programs (EDAMAJAO), Interlibrary Loan (ILL) & Resource Sharing Operations (EDAEAGAK)

Keywords

• Public library services
• Community literacy programs
• Digital lending platform
• Language learning services
• Educational resource access

Headquarters

HQ city

Waddinxveen

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual and monthly subscription fees from individual members. Youth (0-18) receive free membership. Adults pay tiered rates from €45.00 digital-only to €84.00 for premium packages.
2. Late Fees and Fines: Revenue from overdue material charges ranging from €0.25 per day for standard materials to €0.60 for top titles
3. BiebApp Per-Use Fees: Pay-per-loan model through BiebApp at €2.00 per material for non-members, with first two loans free
4. Printing and Copying Services: Black and white printing at €0.30 per A4 page, color printing at €0.60, with additional charges for larger formats
5. Special Services: Revenue from vacation bags, reading circle kits, and institutional subscriptions

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Bibliotheek De Groene Venen is a nonprofit public library foundation that lends physical and digital books, e-books, audiobooks, DVDs, and magazines through seven branch locations across the municipalities of Zuidplas, Waddinxveen, and Bodegraven-Reeuwijk in South Holland, Netherlands. It supplements its lending operations with the BiebApp for subscription-free borrowing, the Online Bibliotheek for digital titles, the Digi-Taalhuis for Dutch language learning, computer and WiFi access, printing services, and a government information point. The foundation operates on tiered annual and monthly memberships, with free access for youth under 18.

Product overview

Bibliotheek De Groene Venen operates as a multi-location public library system serving the municipalities of Zuidplas, Waddinxveen, and Bodegraven-Reeuwijk in the Netherlands. The organization offers a unified service portfolio combining physical library operations with digital services. The core offering consists of physical book lending across seven branch locations, supplemented by the BiebApp for subscription-free borrowing, and the Online Bibliotheek platform for digital e-books and audiobooks. Additional services include the Digi-Taalhuis for Dutch language learning, computer and internet access, Biebprinten printing services, and the Lokale Collectie featuring local authors. Membership tiers provide tiered access to these resources, with the Standard subscription as the base offering and Comfort/Digital tiers adding enhanced benefits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BiebApp: Mobile application allowing users to borrow books, DVDs, and magazines without a library membership, available in Bodegraven, Nieuwerkerk aan den IJssel, and Waddinxveen branches.

Products and services

• BiebApp
• Online Bibliotheek
• Digi-Taalhuis
• Biebprinten
• Lokale Collectie
• Computer en Internet Service
• Infopunt Digitale Overheid
• Library Membership Subscriptions

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• JobOncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing career counseling, networking events, and online training programs for job seekers through the library's learning services.
• ProbibliocoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner providing the BiebApp mobile application for contactless borrowing without library membership.
• IDO (Informatiepunt Digitale Overheid)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing digital government services information point helping citizens with DigiD, tax filing, Corona pass, and other government digital services.
• De Bibliotheek op School (dBOS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool library program bringing library services into educational institutions in Zuidplas, Waddinxveen, and Bodegraven-Reeuwijk municipalities.
• De PapierwinkelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWeekly walk-in service in Bodegraven-Reeuwijk municipality providing help with finances, forms, and administration.
• De FormulierenbrigademinorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolunteer service in Waddinxveen helping with form filling for welfare applications and other government forms.
• De PostkamerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerService at Stichting ZO! in Zuidplas helping with form filling, administration organization, and letter reading.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Probiblio: Sector organization providing technology and innovation services to Dutch public libraries, including the BiebApp platform used by De Groene Venen. A key technology enabler and ecosystem partner rather than a direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Online Bibliotheek (onlinebibliotheek.nl): National digital lending platform that De Groene Venen includes with membership. Operates as a sector-wide shared service rather than a competing organization, but represents the digital lending benchmark in the Dutch market.
• Koninklijke Bibliotheek (KB): Dutch national library providing overarching policy, digital infrastructure, and coordination for the public library sector. Comparable as a sector umbrella and source of standards, but operates at a national rather than municipal level.

Direct peers

• Bibliotheek Rotterdam: Large municipal public library serving Rotterdam and surrounding area with multi-branch network, membership subscriptions, Digi-Taalhuis, and digital government services—directly comparable in mission, service mix, and Dutch public library operating model.
• OBA (Amsterdam Public Library): Major Dutch public library offering physical lending, e-books, educational programs, and community services across multiple branches. Comparable in service portfolio, freemium youth model, and digital government information role, though at a much larger scale.
• Bibliotheek Utrecht: Dutch public library with multiple branches offering lending, digital services, education, and community programs. Comparable in operating model, service breadth, and certified library status within a similar-sized municipality cluster.
• Bibliotheek Den Haag: Municipal public library in The Hague providing lending, digital services, language learning, and community programming. Operates under the same certified library framework and serves a comparable urban-fringe population.

Regional players

• Biblionet Groningen: Provincial public library organization in the north of the Netherlands offering lending, digital services, and educational programming. Comparable as a multi-municipality library network, but in a different geographic region.
• Stichting Lezen en Schrijven: Dutch national foundation focused on low literacy and digital skills—directly comparable to De Groene Venen's Digi-Taalhuis and language learning programs in mission and target population, though operating at a national advocacy and program level.
• Bibliotheek Gouda: Neighboring public library in the South Holland region offering a similar mix of lending, digital services, and educational programs. Comparable in scale and target market profile as a nearby regional peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bibliotheek-de-groene-venen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 De Groene Venen