Muntpunt extends weekday opening hours - without staff

Popular Brussels library Muntpunt has extended its hours of operation by adding unstaffed hours in which approved visitors can enter the facilities by themselves using an access code.

The unstaffed hours will be from 9.00 to 11.00 on weekdays and more than 1,000 people have already requested an access code to use the library during these ‘Open+’ windows.

The library, which is struggling to adjust to budget cuts without reducing its services for users, urges visitors to treat the building and others with respect during these unsupervised hours.

“Muntpunt is giving visitors a figurative key, and inviting the people of Brussels to treat each other and the building with respect,” it said a statement.

There will be a steward on site as part of the Open+ plan and the library has also invested in additional CCTV surveillance with 31 new cameras.

These cameras are primarily in critical safety areas and will not be monitored 24/7 but rather consulted in the event of an incident.

Another cost-cutting measure is that on Saturdays, the library will now open at 11.00 rather than 10.00, with no prior unstaffed access.

Access during unstaffed hours is only permitted for members aged 18 or over, subject to signing the regulations.

These approved visitors may then enter using their ID card or library card and a code. Members may borrow or return materials and make use of the reading and study areas.

Anyone wishing to register or who has a question can visit the desk from 11.00 to speak to one of the staff members.

“We will personally approach visitors who need more guidance during the first few weeks and help them get started,” said Katrien Braeckman, reception coordinator.

There has been a great deal of interest in the scheme, particularly among students.

“We are looking into how we can also be open more in the evenings and at weekends in the future,” director Roel van den Sigtenhorst told Bruzz.

“We want to share this public space with the city as much as possible, but we want to tackle this step by step.

"We are a large public institution and if we implement something like this, it must be done properly, safely and to everyone’s satisfaction.

"We see this first year as a trial period. Over the course of the year, we will look at how we can scale up."

The decision to open the library an hour later on Saturdays, without users being able to enter on their own beforehand, reflects low interest in using the library on this day.

“Visitor numbers are so low that it is too costly for us and therefore not worthwhile to be open then, even if unstaffed,” van den Sigtenhorst added.

Last summer, the library struggled with a sharp rise in thefts and violent incidents, but van den Sigtenhorst said “things have become calmer” and data reflects a decrease in incidents.

“We’ve built various steps into the process to prevent incidents as much as possible,” he added.

“Only members will be able to enter using a code. We have opted for the morning, as it is quieter then anyway and attracts many regular, somewhat older visitors. And anyone who wants the code must first sign the terms of use.”

Van den Sigtenhorst emphasised that the number of staffed hours will not be reduced. “This is the absolute minimum. Fewer staffed hours: no. More unstaffed hours: yes.”