Digitisation of the City Library Experience
The City of Brussels is digitising the user experience in its libraries to provide even better service to its citizens.
A new, more advanced integrated library management system (ILMS) has been installed in all of the City's libraries to help librarians offer even better service to library users.
A new website for the City of Brussels libraries https://bibliotheques.bruxelles.be/ has also been launched. It makes it easy to find, reserve and return books. Most importantly, it means that the catalogues of all the libraries in the City of Brussels are now centralised. This site is in addition to the Brussels-Capital Region libraries portal, which integrates the catalogues of the various French-speaking libraries in the Brussels Region with the collective catalogue already compiled by the City's libraries. The portal meets a number of needs arising from very rapid digital developments. Readers are no longer content to simply find out whether their book is available, they also want to read the opinions of a community of readers, be given a background on the author and find out how much the book would cost to buy in bookshops. This is now possible thanks to the Biblio.brussels portal
This new regional portal also comes with a bibliopass allowing users to access the toy library and the French-speaking libraries of the City of Brussels. They will also be able to access all French-speaking public libraries in the Brussels-Capital Region, subject to registration. More information on access conditions and registration procedures can be found on the website below: https://bibliotheques.bruxelles.be/en-pratique
The City also uses the Open+ system. Open+ enables us to extend our traditional opening hours. With Open+, libraries can be accessed during the week, after work or at weekends, and even at times when librarians are not present. Thanks to its automated opening system, Open+ lets you borrow books or enjoy a quiet workspace. This system is already in place at the Bruegel library and is due to be installed at the new F. Brunfaut library at the beginning of 2024. Further information and contact details can be found HERE, along with an explanatory video HERE.
Pictures: © Unsplash Zaina Izzudin
