ORANJESTAD, Aruba — Biblioteca Nacional Aruba has reached a historic institutional milestone after its long-awaited formatierapport and landsbesluit were officially approved and signed, completing a process that had continued for approximately 18 years.
The development gives Aruba’s national library a formal organizational and legal framework that better reflects the responsibilities it has carried out for decades.
Biblioteca Nacional Aruba Director Astrid Britten announced the news to library employees and presented the official documentation following a visit by Minister Gerlien Croes.
The landsbesluit was signed by Governor Alfonso Boekhoudt and Croes, the minister responsible for Biblioteca Nacional Aruba.
Biblioteca Nacional Aruba Completes 18-Year Process
The formalization process dates back to 2008.
Although the institution had been functioning as Aruba’s national library for decades, the organizational structure necessary to formally establish its position had remained unfinished.
Approval of the formatierapport and landsbesluit now provides a more clearly defined foundation for the library’s structure and future development.
The milestone comes during a significant anniversary year for the institution.
Library services in Aruba began 77 years ago, while Biblioteca Nacional Aruba is celebrating 40 years operating under its national-library identity.
The institution officially became the national library in 1986, following Aruba’s transition to Status Aparte.
Library Plays Wider Role Than Lending Books
The formal recognition also highlights the broad role BNA plays within Aruba.
The institution provides public access to books and information, but its responsibilities extend well beyond traditional lending services.
Biblioteca Nacional Aruba promotes literacy and education, provides resources for research and personal development, and creates spaces where residents can participate in cultural and educational activities.
It also has an important responsibility for preserving materials connected to Aruba’s history, culture and national identity.
Through its Arubiana-Caribiana and Digital Collections department, BNA maintains and makes historical and cultural resources available for research and future generations.
Long Process Required Cooperation
Completion of the formatierapport and landsbesluit followed years of consultation, administrative work and coordination.
BNA’s management worked closely with Departamento di Recurso Humano, or DRH, throughout the process.
The library had already reported several years ago that substantial work on its staffing and organizational framework had been completed, but additional administrative steps were still required.
The final approval therefore represents the conclusion of a process involving numerous officials, professionals and stakeholders over many years.
BNA thanked DRH and everyone who contributed to reaching the milestone.
Croes Highlights Education and Heritage
For Minister Gerlien Croes, the formalization is important not only for the library itself but also for Aruba’s education, culture and preservation of national heritage.
A national library gives residents access to knowledge regardless of their background while supporting reading, research and education.
It also preserves the collective memory of the country through documents, publications and historical collections.
The new organizational foundation is intended to give BNA a stronger basis from which to continue developing these responsibilities.
Stronger Foundation for Library’s Future
For the management and staff of Biblioteca Nacional Aruba, the signed documents represent more than an administrative achievement.
They provide greater institutional clarity after years of operating without the complete formal framework now approved.
The milestone can also support future planning by establishing the organizational structure required for the library to continue modernizing its services and responding to the changing needs of the community.
After 77 years of library service, 40 years as Aruba’s national library and an 18-year formalization process, Biblioteca Nacional Aruba now enters its next stage with an officially recognized legal and organizational foundation.
For BNA, the achievement represents both recognition of its longstanding contribution to Aruba and a stronger basis for preserving knowledge, encouraging education and protecting the island’s cultural heritage for future generations.
