It was perceived that a special course was needed as school librarians were and are practically unknown in the Netherlands. This course existed only for a few years. Due to the bad economic situation in the eighties, schools who didn't have a library, didn't start one, and the schools who did, closed the facility or left it as it was, without professional staff. To improve the legal status and scale of salary of the school librarian. There are no primary schools in the Netherlands with professional library staff.
Most primary schools have a small school library.
Parents and other volunteers are maintaining these libraries. However, an interest for good and professionally run school libraries is growing within the primary school sector. But in many schools there is no professional personnel available in the school libraries. There are not enough professionally trained school librarians available. It is to be expected that in a few years time schools are going to face problems finding professional school librarians who are willing to work within the school system.