Utrecht Public Library

Utrecht Public Library
Utrecht Public Library
	Main seat of Utrecht Public Library (Dutch: Openbare bibliotheek) at Neude square, Utrecht, the Netherlands
	52°5′35.26″N 5°7′5.44″E / 52.0931278°N 5.1181778°E
Location	Neude 11, 3512 AE Utrecht
Established	January 8, 1892; 132 years ago
Branches	12 (2024)
Access and use
Population served	visits: 1,6 million (2022), exceeding two million (2023)
Other information
Director	Deirdre Carasso
Website	www.bibliotheekutrecht.nl

Utrecht Public Library (Dutch: Openbare Bibliotheek Utrecht) is the public library system of the city of Utrecht, The Netherlands, consisting of a large central city library in the former Utrecht Post Office and twelve further branches.

Neighborhood branches

In 1910 the first branch was inaugurated: a small 'wisselbibliotheekje' (small book swap library) of thirty books in the Jaffa neighbourhood.^[1] In 1918 a branch was opened at Sweelinckstraat, Utrecht, followed by another one in the neighbourhood Ondiep in 1919.

Main hall, Main library Neude, Utrecht, 2023.

In January 2024 the Public Library Utrecht counted twelve branches (libraries, bibliotheken) apart from the main establishment at Neude, Utrecht:

Bibliotheek Neude [nl] in the city centre
Bibliotheek Hoograven [nl]
Bibliotheek Lunetten
Bibliotheek Overvecht
Bibliotheek Tuinwijk (Utrecht)
Bibliotheek Vleuterweide [nl]
Bibliotheek Zuilen
Bibliotheek De Meern
Bibliotheek Kanaleneiland
Bibliotheek Oog in Al
Bibliotheek Leidsche Rijn Centrum
Bibliotheek Vleuten
Jeugdbibliotheek Waterwin, Leidsche Rijn

In 2023 more than 2 million visits were registered, in 2022 1,6 million, ^[2] with more than 1 million loans of children's books in 2022.^[3]

Main hall, Central library Neude Utrecht, 2023.
Main hall, Central library Neude Utrecht, 2023.
Entrance with art work Intellectual heritage by Maarten Baas.
Front, Central library Neude Utrecht, 2023.
Lion-man by Daan Paans. Department Reizen (Travel), Library Neude Utrecht, 2023.
Boekenhuis (House of Books) by Frank Halmans. Department Jeugd (Youth), Library Neude Utrecht, 2024.