De Librije

Founded in 2006, De Librije is a foundation based in Enkhuizen, Netherlands working on heritage, science & research.

De Librije is a 17th-century public town library housed in the Westerkerk in Enkhuizen, the Netherlands. It holds roughly 500 printed works, mostly from the late 16th and early 17th centuries, covering theology, medicine, botany, cartography, law, mathematics, philosophy and geography. It is reputedly the oldest surviving library of its kind in the Netherlands still in its original location. The collection is managed by the Stichting Librije Westerkerk Enkhuizen (SLWE), founded on 31 May 2006 to maintain the books owned by the local Protestant church community and the library room. The foundation has a cultural ANBI status, and its work is funded by subsidies, donations, gifts and legacies. The library is open to visitors by guided tour during the church's summer opening, with a small entrance fee, and by appointment for groups of up to 12 people. Volunteers run the tours and the foundation's board receives no remuneration. The foundation has supported the conservation and restoration of key volumes, and it published a two-part scholarly catalogue and history of the collection.