More expensive access to reading: National Library fees increased 10 times

The National Library of Romania has substantially increased the fees for access cards, a measure that comes into force as of July 3, 2025. Thus, the annual fee for full access has increased from 30 lei to 300 lei, while pupils, students and pensioners will pay 150 lei. The director of the institution, Bogdan Gheorghiu - former Minister of Culture - explains this increase by eliminating subsidies previously granted to some library services: "It was a subsidized fee. In the current context, we could no longer keep the old fees. Anyway, for pupils, students and pensioners we are going for 150 lei per year, which means 12 lei per month.”

• Measure, formalized by ministerial order

The change in fees was introduced by an Order of the Minister of Culture, Demeter Istvan, issued on July 1. The decision comes in a difficult budgetary context, in which several public institutions are rethinking their financing structure.

• Expected reactions from the public

The increase in fees could spark dissatisfaction among frequent users of the National Library, especially students, researchers and people looking for an accessible study space. Although the reduced card remains below the price of a monthly internet or gym subscription, the jump from 30 to 300 lei for full access raises questions about the accessibility of culture and information.

• Context: budget crisis in the cultural sector

The increase in fees at the Library comes in the context of major financial pressures on cultural institutions in Romania. Reductions in subsidies and the search for alternative sources of income are becoming more frequent, in the absence of constant and sustainable public funding.

• A new test for the dialogue between the state and citizens

The National Library's decision reflects not only an administrative adaptation, but also a test of the balance between institutional sustainability and democratic access to knowledge. It remains to be seen whether this increase will significantly affect the number of users or whether it will generate reactions in the public space. Access to books should not become a luxury, say some critics of the measure. But in the absence of budgetary alternatives, cultural institutions are increasingly forced to impose direct costs on those whom, theoretically, they should attract and serve for free.