Stable IT as the foundation for Bibliotheek Schiedam.

In our digital and individualistic world, Bibliotheek Schiedam aims to offer a safe haven for everyone in Schiedam: a place to discover, learn, relax, and grow personally. Theo Schilthuizen, director and executive of Bibliotheek Schiedam, explains the role Justspark plays as the library’s IT partner in supporting it digitally. How did Justspark ensure a successful migration? And why does digital matter so much in the library world?

An easily accessible library in the city is more important than ever. In our increasingly digital society, low literacy and unequal opportunities are significant challenges. Many people struggle with reading, writing, and numeracy, and often find it difficult to keep up with digital developments. Research shows that more than 32% of Schiedam’s residents lack these basic skills – a higher percentage than the national average. People with fewer basic skills more often face other problems as well, such as unemployment, poor health, and difficulty integrating and participating in society. That’s why Bibliotheek Schiedam wants to make sure everyone can continue to take part in modern society.

Over the coming years, the library will continue to expand its online offering – for example, with a variety of digital resources visitors can consult and a range of online courses. This way, everyone can keep developing and gain new skills in areas such as digital literacy, finances, and language. For this reason, good communication – both in person and online – is becoming increasingly important for Bibliotheek Schiedam. It’s essential that the library has stable ICT systems, so all work can be carried out properly and communication runs smoothly. That’s exactly where Justspark supports Bibliotheek Schiedam.

No financial surprises

The library previously worked with a different IT provider. “But they didn’t specialize in the library world, while as an IT company you really need to know what matters to libraries when it comes to automation,” Theo explains. When that provider continued to deliver substandard work, Bibliotheek Schiedam decided to start a tender process.

“In the end, we requested four quotes. Because Justspark – then still Graficom – was already one of the larger IT service providers in the library world, we invited them to submit a quote as well.” A combination of a good price, commitments, and written agreements ultimately proved to be the deciding factor for Bibliotheek Schiedam to partner with Justspark. Theo: “With many providers, you often still discover some fine print in the final stage of the quote. That’s not the case with Justspark. They communicate very clearly about what it will cost, and there are no financial surprises afterward.”

Theo sees Justspark as a professional IT company that keeps its promises. “They always think along with their clients and have the right knowledge and expertise in-house. You see that at every level of the company: strategically, tactically, and operationally, they have things well under control.”

Justspark also offers a personal approach, which Bibliotheek Schiedam notices directly in day-to-day operations. In particular, there is a close relationship and almost daily contact between the library’s ICT staff member and Justspark’s helpdesk, sales, support, and management. On top of that, Justspark is always a good sparring partner. “They really listen to their clients. If something can be done better, they won’t hesitate to act on it.”

One of the biggest expectations of the partnership with Justspark was: IT as a means, not an end in itself. “I come from an IT background myself,” says Theo. “Sometimes IT turns into a goal rather than just a means to get the work done. A library needs to be able to focus fully on its core tasks, and ICT has to support that. Justspark gets that exactly right.” For Bibliotheek Schiedam, the IT partner’s expertise in the library world became especially clear during the migration from one platform to another. “All the data had to be transferred securely. Justspark delivered a more than successful migration for our library.” Theo is therefore looking ahead to the (digital) future of Bibliotheek Schiedam with full confidence.