Visitors will be able to consult or borrow books, as well as publications or e-books from other institutions that belong to the National Library of Luxembourg’s network (Bibliotheque nationale de Luxembourg -BnL). The university library for example is very popular with students, in particularly due to the opening of the Luxembourg Learning Center (LLC).
Following the questions from the Left’s Marc Baum and David Wagner (Déi Lénk) concerning the functioning of Luxembourg’s library infrastructures, Ministers Sam Tanson and Claude Meisch (Ministers for Culture and Education respectively) replied that they would be adjusting the university library’s opening hours according to requests. This means that, as during the latest exam period in June, libraries should also be open on Saturdays during the months of September and December.
Without going into details, the ministers assured that, within the limits of the available budget, they would do their best to develop the workforce so as to meet needs in 2020.
However, the ministers did not specify whether the number of National Library librarians would increase ahead of the re-opening. Tanson and Meisch only confirmed that over the past seven years (in which the moving operation has been in progress), the BnL has benefited from 16 authorisations to recruit for the new site’s opening and management.
Additionally, the National Library will have extended opening hours once it opens in September, remaining open from 10 am to 8 pm Tuesdays through to Fridays. The library will also be open on Saturdays until 6 pm, but will be closed on Mondays.
The ministers also revealed the fruits of a 2012 law on public libraries, which requires that all libraries wishing to be considered public libraries join the national bibnet.lu network, especially if they hope to benefit from bibnet.lu funding. Over the past six years, the network has grown from 37 members to 87 members.
