Turnhout (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Starting January 1, 2025, Turnhout residents can join the city library for free. Alderman Jan Van Otten highlights its role in learning, digital support, and community activities, with 270,000 expected visitors this year.
As VRT News reported, starting January 1st, 2025, all residents of Turnhout can join the city library for free. The city hopes this will make the library easier to access for everyone. Jan Van Otten, Alderman for Library Affairs (Vooruit), said the library does more than read books.
“It helps people improve their reading, supports those who struggle with digital tools, and strengthens the sense of community. The library is important in tackling social challenges,”
Jan Van Otten explained.
What makes the Turnhout library free for residents, with 270,000 visitors expected?
Officials mentioned that the library provides more than reading materials. Residents can join educational programs, take part in digital workshops, and attend community events. Officials said visitor numbers continue to rise each year.
Turnhout’s city library expects to welcome about 270,000 visitors this year. That is more than last year. Officials say the library has become a second home for many residents. It is not only a place to borrow books but also a space for learning, digital support, cultural programs, and community events.
The city plans to continue investing in the library. Visitors from outside the city will still have to pay €10 per year. Children under 18 and holders of a UiTPAS with a reduced rate will remain eligible for free membership.
The library began offering digital workshops in 2015 for the purpose of enhancing computer and Internet skills among the population. As of 2020, the library was welcoming over 200,000 visitors each year. Cities, such as Ghent, provided the opportunity for children and young adults to become members at no charge; however, adults from outside Ghent were required to pay a small fee.
In Leuven, there were also free or reduced-fee memberships extended to select residents, and many of these members participated in educational programs as well as digital workshops. Both Amsterdam and Berlin have excluded residents from paying any sort of membership fee other than for those who reside outside of their cities.
