It is 11 June 2026. I realise that exactly two years ago I received the news that I would be taking up the post of Director-General at the KB, the National Library of the Netherlands. And it is twenty years since I started working at TU Delft Library; since 2011 (so for fifteen years) I have held the position of director at three different institutions.

Libraries

But above all, the fact that it is now twenty years since I first began to discover the world of libraries is reason enough to pause and reflect on this for a little longer. Libraries are, more than other spots, the places where you are invited – and sometimes challenged – to reflect on the world around you, to consider your own thoughts and actions, and to learn from, read about and listen to sources other than yourself. It is not always easy to make time for the latter – we are all caught up in our own bubbles and preconceptions or ways of working, and are swept along by the day-to-day that comes our way, and often demands and deserves our attention.

Open mind

I have often written about topics that have preoccupied me and continue to do so. The long-term implications of making or keeping (the results of) research and education – which have been realised with public funds – accessible. Ensuring transparency in all things, including decision-making (or why you sometimes do not or cannot do so). My reflection on this is that I try to do this myself wherever possible, but that it is not always easy. After all, it takes longer to do it this way, whereas sometimes you want (and sometimes need) to make a decision straight away. One solution could be to press ahead if it feels right and is safe, but to make sure you set aside time for review and evaluation.

oeps_blog-sm
Rather saying “oops” than “what if” - found along a street in my homecity Delft, the Netherlands.

Freedom of thought

I naturally brought this perspective with me from my time at TU Delft and later at Vrije University Amsterdam, but more recently I have been keen to add the specific perspective of a national library. We are uniquely committed to the understanding that written cultural heritage, both physical and digital, gives meaning to a country and its people, and that this must be protected (and shared) at all times. Freedom of opinion and expression is a human right, and this can be realised through the formation of one’s own opinions. A democracy needs a well-informed public and reliable infrastructures to be able to find that information. As libraries, we contribute to this, not only by storing this information, but also by ensuring that we know where the information comes from, how we add context to it, and by making it available.

Who are we doing this for?

As well as ‘being holistically open’, I also think it’s important to keep asking yourself who (as organization) you’re doing certain things for (and of course why). And how you can do that well for that person or group. That isn’t necessarily easy. You often find that the way we organise ourselves (in the library sector; in education; in government) isn’t helpful for the people we’re doing it for. This was sometimes a puzzle at the universities where I worked (integrated services, how do you bring the supporting research cycle or student journey together), and of course it is the same for us as a national library. What helps here, we are learning, is to keep a clear focus on what value you want to deliver to whom, and to realise that in some cases you cannot achieve this alone. A good example, of course, is what we are doing with various partners in the public library network to advance our social mission (see our shared agenda (in Dutch)).

Deep democracy / Sociocracy 3.0

The way in which you move things forward, together, matters. As part of the Npuls programme, I spent some time learning to work with Sociocracy 3.0, and we recently, here at the KB, held a refresher course on deep democracy. Creating time and space to ensure that everything can and may be said, and to listen to dissenting voices. And also to see how you can still take a step forward together. That is not easy, and I too still need to practise this.

Interview series / learning from others

What I would like to make time for is talking to people from other organisations. To explore in greater depth the long-term principles I believe in – transparency, reliability, resilience, accessibility and connection. To learn from one another, to bring in new ideas, or to inspire one another, and to share that with everyone around us. Now that I am entering my last year before I turn 60, I feel this is a good time to make this a priority. To be continued!