Deborah Storn Appointed President of Higher Council for Public Libraries

Luxembourg's Ministry of Culture has announced the appointment of Deborah Storn as the new President of the Higher Council for Public Libraries (Conseil Supérieur des Bibliothèques Publiques - CSBP).

Deborah Storn, a graduate librarian who currently works at the Cité Bibliothèque in Luxembourg City.

Established by the law of 24 June 2010 on public libraries, the CSBP represents an advisory body of the Ministry of Culture. Among its missions are the exchange of information related to the activities of public libraries and the coordination of cultural activities to promote reading and knowledge. In addition, its activities promote the development of documentary research skills.

One of the main collaborations initiated by the CSBP is the ebooks.lu project, a digital offer allowing the free borrowing of electronic books. Currently, more than 148,000 e-books in German, French and English are available to registered users at partner libraries (eleven public libraries as well as the National Library of Luxembourg and the Bicherbus). Since the first lockdown in March 2020, the project has seen a significant influx and has just been extended to include an offer of 1,150 digital audio books in German, French and English.

The CSBP recalled that public libraries are excluded from the current COVID-19-related closure of cultural establishments. Public libraries were among the first institutions to reopen their doors in May 2020 and continue to respect the health measures in force. New concepts such as media delivery services, online readings and the quarantine of returned documents have been implemented.

The conditions of access and the opening hours of each of the approved public libraries can be consulted via their respective websites. Luxembourg's eleven public libraries are as follows: Bibliothéik Eschduerf; Bibliothèque municipale de Differdange; Bibliothèque municipale d'Esch-sur-Alzette; Bibliothèque municipale de Grevenmacher; Bibliothèque publique régionale de Dudelange; Bibliothèque Tony Bourg; Cité Bibliothèque; Ettelbrécker Bibliothéik; Mierscher Lieshaus; Musel-Sauer-Mediathéik; Ourdallbibliothéik; Weeltzer Ludo-Bibliothek.