A year ago we started our futuring exercise. A total of 28 colleagues started exploring the future of the KB, National Library of The Netherlands,, via the method of applied strategic foresight. Not to make predictions, but to increase our thinking capacity and better deal with uncertainty.

Openness

It was one of the three organization-wide priorities for 2025, i.e., to look ahead (to 2035) and to understand what that could mean for us. And this moment (1 March 2026) is also significant because it is 1.5 years since I started as Director General of the KB. One of the important pillars that I always bring with me is openness, alongside being honest and transparent. And just as with open science and open education (this week is Open Education Week, by the way!), it’s not just about sharing the (final) results of what you do, but the process to get there can also be relevant.

Progress

We developed four scenarios for the role of the national library in the changing information environment in 2035. These scenarios were based on trends, expert discussions and collective imagination. These scenarios are not answers, but starting points for discussion. In December 2025 we shared these initial sketches (video in Dutch), because openness also strengthens the process.

We have progressed the past two months. For each of the four scenarios we developed perspectives for action and checked these within every scenario – the idea is that this results in “robust choice”, “big bet”, or “safety net”. If an action makes sense in most of the scenarios, we call it a “robust choice”. If it is only valid for 1 scenario or has a lot of question marks for the other scenarios, it is a “big bet” and a “safety net”, is a sort of estimated guess, with some adjustments it could be an action to choose.

I thought it would be nice as another intermediary step to share our perspectives for action as we gathered them so far. We have not yet made a collective choice for adoption in our new policy plan 2027-2030. I write down below as if we are going to do this, but mind you this is all still under construction.

202602_four scenarios Our four scenarios - the sketches were generated with AI, prompted by Dennis Eijsten.

Robust choice

The majority of the perspectives for action fall under this category. To pick out a few (coming from different “root” scenarios):

  • Quality control of collections in all libraries
    Trust in information is essential. We take on a coordinating role in interpreting and safeguarding the quality of collections, together with other libraries and public organisations. In this way, we ensure that reliability, diversity and public values remain paramount, even in an increasingly digital environment.
  • KB develops into an ethical AI guru
    We take a leading role in the responsible use of AI. Investing specifically in knowledge, skills and new forms of AI, and translating technological developments into clear public values. We do this together with partners in networks, and only with technology that meets those values.
  • Diversity in workforce to 40%
    In a fragmented society, diversity of opinion begins with those who work within the organisation. By consciously making the workforce more diverse, we structurally incorporate different perspectives into our collection, policy and choices. In this way, the KB reflects the society it connects.
  • Physical First! The tangible library as USP
    In a digital and controlled world, the physical library still offers a rare place for free access and slowing down. By expanding the user collection and making more active use of the physical collection through exhibitions, research and meetings, we could make that place visible and relevant. In the scenarios where the machine takes over we cannot make a difference digitally, so the tangible library becomes our distinctive anchor point.

Big bet

Here two actions that originate respectively from the scenarios “Human society” and “New silos”:

  • Lobbying for legal responsibility for LLO
    We are committed to legal responsibility for lifelong development, so that learning does not stop after education. As part of our public duty, we bring together education, libraries and other organisations and break down existing barriers. In this way, we make learning accessible to everyone, even outside formal structures.
  • Collection development through citizen participation
    In a society of diverse communities, pluralism can only arise if people themselves can help determine what is preserved. Through citizen participation, we actively involve communities in collection formation, with clear quality frameworks and a recognisable label. In this way, we fulfil our legal duty in a manner that does justice to both diversity and sustainability.

Safety net

Selecting two actions that originate respectively from the scenarios “Regulated progress” and “Dictatorship of AI”:

  • KB represents Dutch interests at European level
    By 2035, there will be a European library in which all the written cultural heritage of the Member States will be brought together and made accessible. As the national library, we are the organisation in the Netherlands that works with European partners on the European library. In doing so, we represent the interests of the Dutch network partners.
  • Increasing critical thinking skills is our only social task
    In a society that is increasingly controlled by invisible digital systems, critical thinking skills are essential for maintaining control over choices and information. We are therefore consciously doubling the number of people who understand how these systems work and influence us. Where necessary, we also use Big Tech’s own platforms and services to strengthen critical thinking in precisely those areas.

Building further

In due course we will publish the full results of this futuring exercise, and in the mean time we use the outcome in developing our new policy plan 2027-2030, that we will launch towards the end of 2026. In this process we also engage with all our network partners to validate our steps. By looking together, asking questions and identifying blind spots, we are building, step by step, a future-proof national library for 2035.

Note
Thanks to everyone who contributed to this, and in particular our strategic advisors Frank Bergsma, Dennis Eijsten, Simone Kortekaas, Cathelijne Kuiters, Elsbeth Kwant and Sven Koopmans. And our image studio for making the video: Janou Munnik, Jeremy Meek and Ruben Vlijm.