The BnL is worth 3.34 times more to its users than it costs

A survey conducted in early 2025 by bms marketing research + strategy among 2,166 respondents confirms: the National Library of Luxembourg (BnL) is a worthwhile investment.

With an annual public subsidy of around €8.79 million, the BnL generates €38.13 million in value for Luxembourg’s knowledge society – thus significantly exceeding its operational costs. If public funding were withdrawn, the economic and societal loss in Luxembourg would amount to €29.34 million. In other words: for every euro of public funding investend in the BnL, it generates €3.34 for Luxembourg’s knowledge society.

“For me, the National Library is an indispensable part of Luxembourg’s research and knowledge landscape”, stated Minister of Culture Eric Thill during today’s press conference.

Scientific positioning confirmed

96% of all respondents are registered with the BnL. Private individuals make up the largest group of respondents at 66%, followed by students (13%). 74% of users are highly educated, holding a university degree. “Our strategic positioning as a research library, as outlined in our Vision 2030, is clearly on track,” commented Claude D. Conter, Director of the BnL. 

Exceptionally high user satisfaction and loyalty.

96% of users are satisfied with the BnL. 84% rate the services excellent – 38% as outstanding and 46% as very good. 84% consider the BnL as a competitive and strategic advantage. 96% would definitely recommend the library. The BnL achieves a loyalty score of 94 out of 100 points – “a sensational result compared to other industries, where even the best benchmark in the education sector only reaches 56 points,” commented Sabine Graumann, Senior Vice President Information & Library Consultancy at bms marketing research + strategy.

How much is the BnL truly worth to its users?

To answer this question, users were presented with a hypothetical scenario in which public funding for the BnL would be cut, threatening its continued existence. Against this backdrop, users were asked to answer five core questions:

• Investment in access: 72% of users currently spend less than €20 per month on BnL services. The BnL’s strategy is to provide services free of charge.
• Cost of alternatives: If the BnL were no longer available, 71% of respondents would be “impacted”, with 76% of partner libraries stating they would be “severely impacted”. One-third expect additional costs between 1% and 25%, another third between 51% and 75%.
• Price elasticity of demand: 35% would not change their usage behaviour, whereas 44% would reduce their usage if fees were introduced.
• Willingness to pay: 59% of users are willing to pay to maintain the BnL’s services, even though 62% believe the BnL should remain publicly funded.
• Compensation demands from the state: In the hypothetical case of dissolution, users would demand compensation far exceeding the current public funding of €8.79 million.

These questions allow for a realistic assessment of willingness to pay and the acceptance of fee changes, enabling the calculation of the BnL’s added value using the Contingent Valuation Method.

The BnL is worth 3.34 times more to its users than it costs to operate

“The results speak for themselves”, said Peter Kurz, Senior Vice President Innovations & Methods at bms marketing research + strategy, who led the calculations. Should funding cease, Luxembourg’s economy and society would suffer losses of €29.34 million. In other words: every euro the BnL receives returns €3.34 to Luxembourg’s knowledge society. Private individuals would have to pay €16 million. Partner libraries would have to take over services worth €18.85 million annually. 

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