The new library

De nieuwe bibliotheek (the new library) is the public library of Almere. Its three brances (in Almere Stad, Almere Haven and Almere Buiten) serve approximately 195.000 residents, and 32% of Almere's population have a membership. The newly competed central library, situated on the Stadhuisplein, was opened on the 27th of March 2010.
 

Opening hours

The Almere stad branch of de nieuwe bibliotheek is open seven days a week, the Haven and Buiten libraries have seperate opening hours. Please check the openingstijden-page for current opening hours.
 

Contact information

All branches of the new library are easy to reach by public transport. The central library is just a five-minute walk from station Almere Centrum.

Almere Stad Stadhuisplein 101 1315 XC Almere

Almere Buiten Noordeinde 76 1334 BA Almere

Almere Haven Schoolstraat 36 1354 HP Almere

Phone: call +31 36 5486000 and choose option 2 in the menu. All members of staff anwering the phone speak English.

E-mail: info@denieuwebibliotheek.nl
 

Collection

Physical collection
The collection is comprised of approximately 311,000 titles. Besides books, cd’s and dvd’s, the library also lends out audiobooks, computer games, reading aids, eBook’s, and eReaders. Many national and international newspapers and magazines are on display.

Digital collection
Visitors have a large number of digital sources at their disposal on the library’s computers. Many of these can be accessed only partially outside the library, or nor at all. In some cases these sources offer home access for members. Digital sources available in the library include: Muziekweb, Literom, Uittrekselbank, Krantenbank, Press display, Consumentenbond online, Winkler Prins Encyclopedie and Van Dale online dictionaries.

Plusbibliotheek
De nieuwe bibliotheek is a so-called Plus library, a public library at college/scientific level. Plus library Flevoland focuses its plus service and collection on the subjects New Towns and Watermanagement.
 

Computer facilities

The Almere Stad branch has 79 computers with free internet access, Almere Buiten has 13 and Almere Haven has 9. These computers can also be used to print (toevoeging: and scan) documents. Free Wi-Fi is available in all branches.
 

Memberschip

32% of the population of Almere is a member of de nieuwe bibliotheek. The library has made several different forms of membership available; the membership for children up to 12 years old is free. For more information on memberships, see Tarieven en abonnementen, or enquire at one of the service desks.
 

History

Almere Haven
Almere’s first small library was founded in 1976, in a wooden portacabin in Almere Haven. To expand the collection, the library moved to an office building in the spring of 1978. Since 1980 the Almere Haven library is situated on the Schoolstraat.

Almere Buiten
The Almere Buiten branch opened its doors in June 1984. At that point the library has a collection of 4000 titles and is open on Wednesday afternoons and Thursday evenings. In 1989 this branch moves to the first floor of the same building. It is expected that the Almere Buiten library will move to a new building (still under construction) in 2012.

Almere Stad
The first library in Almere Stad in 1980 is housed in a single-family home. Between 1987 and 2010 it serves the community from the Voetnoot building, near the Stadhuisplein. An automated lending system is first introduced here. Since 2010 the Almere Stad library is housed in a new building on the Stadhuisplein, designed by architects Meyer en Van Schooten. Besides the collection the library also houses a theatre/cinema, a gaming circle, a lunch café, a classroom/workshop, conference rooms and a study centre with study cells.
 

Awards

- In November 2010 the professional jury awarded Meyer en Van Schooten, the architects, the Architectuurprijs Almere (Architecture Award Almere) for their design of de nieuwe bibliotheek.
- In November 2010 Concrete Architectural Assosiates, the interior decorators, won the Lensvelt de Architect Interior award (LAi 2010) for their interior design of de nieuwe bibliotheek;
- In December 2010 de nieuwe bibliotheek was chosen as the best library in the Netherlands by Bibliotheekblad ( toevoeging: a professional magazine)