The National Library of Luxembourg brings triple benefits to the country

At the beginning of 2025, bms marketing research + strategy conducted a large-scale study of 2,166 users of the National Library of Luxembourg (BnL). The results are unequivocal: the library is not just a cultural institution, but a cost-effective investment. With an annual budget of €8.79 million, it generates the equivalent of €38.13 million for Luxembourg society. This means that every euro of public support translates into 3.34 euros of social and economic income.

The cessation of the library's funding would have caused the country tangible damage, estimated by experts at €29.34 million annually. Particularly affected would be private users (€16 million) and partner libraries, which would have to replace BnL's services to the tune of €18.85 million per year.

Minister of Culture Eric Thill called the BnL "an indispensable part of the country's research and education infrastructure". Library Director Claude D. Conter added that the library is firmly on track to be a "Science Library 2030" as envisioned in the strategic vision.

In the survey, 96% of respondents indicated that they are already registered with the library. At the same time, 66% are individuals and another 13% are students. The majority of users (74%) have higher education. The level of user satisfaction is impressive: 94 out of 100 points. This, according to Dr Sabine Graumann, is significantly higher than the average for the education industry (56 points). Almost all users (96 per cent) are willing to recommend BnL to others.

In a hypothetical scenario, respondents were asked how they would react to the cancellation of free access. 59% were willing to pay for library services, although the majority (62%) still believe that funding should remain public. 44% admitted that they would reduce their use of resources if paid access was introduced. However, even under these scenarios, the calculations show that the total willingness to compensate users exceeds the current costs to the state.

This conclusion is based on the Contingent Valuation methodology, an internationally recognised approach for valuing intangible benefits. The method has been widely used since the 1980s and has even been recognised in the US court system. It takes into account not only current costs and frequency of use, but also the subjective willingness to pay to maintain access.

In this way, the library is not just a repository of knowledge, but an active player in the knowledge economy. BnL demonstrates a rare combination of public mission and measurable economic return - a model that can serve as a model for cultural institutions across Europe.