Public libraries in the Netherlands

Is Eppo van Nispen Tot Sevenaer a mere showman? Is the Delft municipal library’s (DOK) “storytelling” initiative flashy, or is it truly innovative? Exploring the “Dutch model” of public libraries means questioning the limits and progress of French public reading policy and studying the extent to which the Dutch model could be adapted, as well as the cultural or practical differences that both stimulate and hinder the comparative study of library practice in the two countries. The ultimate aim of such an exploration must be to look beyond the stock answers for new avenues full of potential.
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