There is a new Joint Collection Plan (JCP) for libraries. This plan sets out the requirements that a public library's physical and online collection must fulfil to meet the needs of society. In the plan, libraries agree that information must remain accessible to all.
The JCP applies for the period 2026-2030 and also includes libraries in the Caribbean Netherlands. The plan helps libraries further shape their collections. The Public Library Facilities System Act (Wsob) forms the basis for this. This means that libraries must consider the independence, reliability, accessibility, diversity and authenticity of their collections when compiling them.
Under the Wsob, the KB oversees the plan. But according to Jasper Faase, the KB’s Head of Collection Development, its strength lies in the fact that experts throughout the Netherlands have contributed. Each from their own area of expertise. Faase:
"A Joint Collection Plan expresses the shared values that libraries stand for: independent, reliable, accessible, diverse and authentic. These values cannot be taken for granted and deserve protection. As libraries, we recognise the right of any individual or group to personally not want to read books, but we do not grant any individual or group the right to restrict the freedom of others to read those same books. Everyone can come to us."
How did the JCP come about?
The Joint Collection Plan was compiled by subject specialists from public libraries and Provincial Support Institutions (POIs), public library directors, around 100 dedicated library professionals and KB staff. Visit the library network site for more information.
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Colleagues who have worked on the GCP.
