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PL creation program

The FëBLux public library creation program

Purpose

Support the CREATION of sustainable public libraries (French: bibliothèques de lecture publique / German: Öffentliche Bibliotheken) in the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg, as the Law on public libraries of 2010 is only reduced to the support of the existing public libraries.

Excluded are the creation of branch libraries (French: bibliothèques annexes / German: Zweigstellen) and external service points (French: points de desserte extérieurs / German: Wanderbibliotheken).

The FëBLux subvention for the creation of public libraries is a unique financial support.

Time period

This program is normally limited in time, valid for one year (01.01.-31.12.2022), according to article 3 of our statutes (“The financial support is given annually […]“) and to the limited financial reserves of the association. The FëBLux Executive Committee (EC) decides on the prolongation of the program at the end of every year. The EC can temporally suspend the program in case of a too rapid consumption of the association’s funds.

Who can participate?

All associations and municipalities in villages/towns with less than 30.000 inhabitants, located on the territory of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg, can apply for FëBLux funding if they correspond to the following criteria.

General criteria for participation

Accordingly to article 4 of the FëBLux bylaws of 2009 [inspired by the IFLA/Unesco Public Library Manifesto of 1994]:

In order to benefit from the help of the association, the public libraries have to:

  • constitute a fixed library, [no mobile library (French: bibliobus / German: Fahrbibliothek)]
  • make accessible library services to all, regardless of age, race, sex, religion, nationality, language or social status,
  • offer collections and services, which are not subject to any form of ideological, political or religious censorship, nor commercial pressures, and
  • provide [any] non-fiction collections [not only fiction].

Specific criteria for participation

For local communities (French: communes / German: Gemeinden) who want to participate:

  • Excluded are those municipalities which never ever granted FëBLux a subvention. However, a once-in-a-lifetime grant of a municipality to our association (published under Municipal donors) is enough to be eligible for this program. ROI – Return on investment – Big deal!

For associations who want to participate:

  • Excluded are not registered associations (French: associations de fait / German: nicht eingetragene Vereine).
  • Registered non-profit associations (French: associations sans but lucratif (asbl) / German: eingetragene Vereine ohne Gewinnzweck (e.V.)) must respond to a local public interest and respect the plurality of services and collections in a library.

Distribution of subsidies

FëBLux subsidies are distributed by the actually official class of population chart for municipalities, in force in the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg:

Class of populationFëBLux grant (01.01.-31.12.2022)
A) > 60.000 residents[0,00 per inhabitant due to lack of funds]
B) 30.001-60.000[0,00 per inhabitant due to lack of funds]
C) 10.001-30.0001 Euro per inhabitant 10.001 – 30.000€ maximum
DE) 3.001-10.0001,5 Euro per inhabitant 4.501,5 – 15.000€ maximum
F) 2.001-3.0002 Euro per inhabitant 4002 – 6.000€ maximum [rural library bonus]
G) 2.000-1 hab.2,5 Euro per inhabitant 5.000€ max. [rural library bonus]

Bonus subvention for local public libraries

As FëBLux wants to support the creation of really sustainable public libraries as a priority, FëBLux has to encourage long term existing municipalities on this path and consequently adds a bonus of 0,25€ per inhabitant to the subvention scheme mentioned above for the establishment of public libraries funded by townships (French: bibliothèques communales / German: kommunale Bibliotheken).

Example

The town of Bettembourg actually (01.01.2023) counts 11.422 inhabitants. These are all potential readers aka public library users (from baby till senior readers). This town is supporting FëBLux with regular subsidies since 2012 (totally 775€ until 2022). As a municipality of the population class C (10.001-30.000 inhabitants) Bettembourg can expect 1€ per inhabitant, which means a 11.422€ FëBLux subvention for the creation of a local public library. By adding the bonus of 0,25€ per inhabitant, if Bettembourg chooses the sustainable public library model, which means 100% supported by the town, this city can look forward to get 11.422 x 1,25 (1+0,25) = 14.277,5€ in total by FëBLux.

Final selection

The FëBLux Executive Committee, only composed of experts (Art. 9 of the bylaws: qualified librarians / French: détenteurs du titre académique de bibliothécaire / German: Inhaber des akademischen Titels eines Bibliothekar), is evaluating every subvention request.

Free FëBLux professional project counselling

Article 2 of the FëBLux constitution: To ensure an efficient use of subsidies, the association also offers [free] information services and guidance for project executing bodies. (French original: « Afin de garantir un emploi efficace de son aide, l’association propose en outre des services [gratuits] d’information et de conseil aux porteurs de projets. »)

Program based on the FëBLux EC decision of the 24.11.2021, valid from the 01.01.2022 until the 31.12.2022.

N.B. The classes of population (French: classes de population / German: Bevölkerungsklassen) chart in the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg is actually based on the “Règlement grand-ducal du 4 avril 1964 portant assimilation des traitements des fonctionnaires des communes, syndicats de communes et établissements publics placés sous la surveillance des communes, à ceux des fonctionnaires de l’Etat“ (Annexe A, p. 595), modified by the „Règlement grand-ducal du 27 août 2014 modifiant 1. le règlement grand-ducal modifié du 4 avril 1964 portant assimilation des traitements des fonctionnaires des communes, syndicats de communes et des établissements publics placés sous la surveillance des communes, à ceux des fonctionnaires de l’Etat, 2. le règlement grand-ducal modifié du 20 décembre 1990 portant fixation des conditions d’admission et d’examen des fonctionnaires communaux“ (Art. 1er, (1), p. 3660).