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Scotland's favourite library books

Public Lending Right releases latest library lending statistics

Friday 6 February 2009

The Naming of the Dead by Ian Rankin was the most borrowed book in Scotland's libraries between July 2007 and June 2008, according to Public Lending Right (PLR) figures released today.

Scottish borrowers continued their passion for crime, spurning the Richard and Judy Book Club choices which dominate library loans in other regions of the UK.

The Scottish top ten includes thrillers and crime novels by US authors James Patterson and Michael Connelly but also shows loyalty to homegrown talent, with Quintin Jardine’s Death’s Door in eighth place.

The most in demand author for Scots library users was US writer James Patterson, with an astonishing four titles in the top ten. Patterson was also named the most borrowed author in libraries across the UK as a whole for the second year running.

Elaine Fulton, Director of the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) and the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals in Scotland (CILIPS) said: “Scots love a good crime novel. The crime genre has been consistently popular across a wide age group, and with male and female readers alike.

“At the moment, library visits are rising and it has been found that reading attracts the highest level of participation out of any cultural activity in Scotland. A Scottish Government survey last year also found that book borrowing remains the main reason for public library visits by young people. Putting these findings together with new services such as learning ‘taster’ sessions and access to the internet and wifi, underpins the importance of local libraries to communities.”

The Public Lending Right celebrates its 30th Birthday this year and was developed to reward authors fairly for loans of their works from public libraries. Ms Fulton added: “The Public Lending Right scheme is important for authors, especially those who are on small incomes or who are no longer publishing new work. The PLR Agency encourages authors to register irrespective of celebrity or body of work, and they are to be congratulated on their 30th anniversary for the excellent work they do.”

Contact: Elaine Fulton, Director t: 01698 458888 e: e.fulton@slainte.org.uk

TOP 10 LIBRARY BOOKS: SCOTLAND

1. The Naming of the Dead, Ian Rankin
2. The Overlook, Michael Connelly
3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, JK Rowling
4. At Risk, Patricia Cornwell
5. Cross, James Patterson
6. Judge and Jury, James Patterson & Andrew Gross
7. The Quickie, James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge
8. Death’s Door, Quintin Jardine
9. Echo Park, Michael Connelly
10. The 6th Target, James Patterson

TOP 10 LIBRARY BOOKS: UK OVERALL

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, JK Rowling
2. The House at Riverton, Kate Morton
3. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter, Kim Edwards
4. Relentless, Simon Kernick
5. The Other Side of the Bridge, Mary Lawson
6. The Quickie, James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge
7. The 6th Target, James Patterson & Maxine Paetro
8. The Savage Garden, Mark Mills
9. Cross, James Patterson
10. Step on a Crack, James Patterson with Michael Ledwidge

Notes for editors:

SLIC and CILIPS

The Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) is the independent advisory body to the Scottish Government on library and information matters. SLIC was established in 1991 and is funded by organisational membership subscriptions. The Scottish Government partially funds the Council in its work and the National Library of Scotland also contributes financial assistance. SLIC members include all local authority, higher education and further education institutions, NHS Trust library services and other specialist library and information organisations.

The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals in Scotland (CILIPS) is the professional body for librarians and information managers and represents personal members from all sectors - public, school and academic libraries, and libraries from both the voluntary and commercial sectors. CILIPS, a charity registered in Scotland SCO38532. Founded in 2002, CILIPS is the successor body to the Scottish Library Association and is the Scottish Branch of CILIP Registered Charity No. 313014.

Statistic sources:

1. Audit Scotland Statutory Performance Indicators, Cultural and community services 2007/8
2. A survey has revealed that readers form the largest group of participators in the Arts: Scottish Arts Council Taking Part Survey.
3. Scotland’s Schools Omnibus, an annual survey of secondary school pupils carried out by Ipsos MORI, found that 67% of young people visited their local library to borrow, return or renew books. This is significantly higher than the numbers using computers and the Internet (37%) or borrowing multimedia materials (10%).

Public Lending Right Agency

Media Contacts: Becca Wyatt (t: 01403 780383) or Caroline Sanderson (t: 01453 759889).

1. The survey was carried out in 5000 homes and aimed to establish levels of attendance and participation in the Arts over the last 12 months. The surveys have been carried out since 1991.
2. PLR was established by an Act of Parliament in 1979. It gives authors the legal right to receive remuneration from government for the public’s use of their work through the public library system.
3. PLR is funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). Funding for 2008/09 stands at £7.43 million. Following the government’s recent Comprehensive Spending Review, PLR’s funding for 2008-11 is as follows: 2008/09 (£7.43 million), 2009/10 (£7.58 million) and 2010/11 (£7.68 million).
4. The UK writing economy: a typical writer has seen their income drop by £3,000 pa since 2000; a typical writer earns 33% less than the national average wage; the top 10% of writers earn 50% of total income (cf other equally skilled professions where the bottom 50% earn almost 40% of total income); nearly 80% of authors need a second job to survive; in 2004 the publishing industry exports contributed £1.5 billion to the economy; the creative industries currently contribute 8% of GDP. (*Sources: ALCS What Are Words Worth? & the DCMS commissioned report Staying Ahead: the Economic Performance of the UK’s Creative Industries and Society of Authors research, 2000)
5. In February 2009 - relating to book loans during the period July 2007-June 2008 - PLR is distributing £6.63 million to 23,773 authors at a rate per loan of 5.98 pence.
6. Authors are eligible for payment if their PLR earnings reach a minimum of £1. There is a maximum payment threshold of £6,600 for the top-lending authors. This year 232 authors will receive the maximum payment. In a recent survey of PLR’s top earners, 80% specified that their annual PLR payment is core to their income.
7. Since its inception in 1979, PLR has distributed over £113 million to authors.
8. Authors living in other European Union countries also qualify for payment from the UK scheme for loans of their books from public libraries in the UK. Authors living in Ireland are the principal beneficiaries. British authors currently qualify for payment from PLR schemes in France, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands. Payments are distributed by the Authors’ Licensing & Collecting Society (ALCS).