Debrecen4U May 21, 2025

40 percent more books have been borrowed since library use became free in Debrecen

Last May, a new chapter opened in the life of the Méliusz Juhász Péter Library: library use became free, and opening hours were also extended.

The initiative was a success, as interest in reading has increased significantly in the past year. Since the announcement, more than 14 thousand people have purchased a library card, while the institution has experienced a 40 percent increase in the number of documents borrowed.

The Méliusz Juhász Péter Library provides books to another fifty settlements in Hajdú-Bihar County. After registering, readers can also visit these institutions for free, and they can return borrowed books to any of them.

Diána Széles said that the creation of cultural centres similar to the library plays an extremely important role in the life of the city.

“We were very pleased to make the decision to make this cultural opportunity free and accessible to everyone, as we believe that this is an opening, a bridge for the people of Debrecen, where they can be in a community and, of course, use the services that a library can provide,” Deputy Mayor Diéna Széles emphasised.

Further modernisation developments are expected in the near future, which will elevate Debrecen libraries to the forefront of the country.

“We are racking our brains on development expansion. Very exciting digital services will be coming, very interesting automation and robotisation will occur in certain places. I don’t want to shout it out, we are still preparing for it, but Debrecen will be among the first to move towards the library of the 21st century,”  Director Béla Lóránt Kovács highlighted.

Source and photo credit:dehir.hu