Nine Dragons by US writer Michael Connelly was the most borrowed book in Scottish libraries during 2010/11, it was revealed on Friday 3 February, the eve of National Libraries Day. While crime remains an overwhelming popular genre UK-wide, Scottish library borrowers are reading very different fiction in comparison to the rest of the UK.
The UK list is dominated by James Patterson and Lee Child, however the Scottish list includes Rosamund Lupton’s thriller Sister, Kathryn Stockett’s novel of prejudice and rebellion, The Help, and contemporary literary bestseller A Week in December by Sebastian Faulks.
Data released by Public Lending Right (PLR) shows exactly which books and authors proved most popular with Scotland’s borrowers between July 2010 and June 2011.
US thriller writer James Patterson was today revealed as the Most Borrowed Author in libraries across the UK as a whole for the fifth year running. Scots crime novelist Ian Rankin’s The Complaint made the top UK 10 in a list dominated by American writers.
When asked about the changing Scottish reading habit, SLIC Director Elaine Fulton said: “Libraries try very hard through their promotions and book displays to introduce people to new authors and give them a wider reading experience. Crime novels remain very popular with library readers because they appeal to a wider readership. It’s great to see different writers on the list and as e-books start to be lent from an increasing number of libraries, I expect to see even more variation.”
The PLR Act became law in 1979 and plays a crucial role in the UK’s creative economy by providing vital financial support to the nation’s writers. Public libraries across the country accumulate lending figures by ISBN. The PLR office collates this data and uses it to make payments to authors on the basis of how often their books have been lent out. PLR is funded by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS). In 2012, PLR will distribute £6.5 million to 23,718 authors at a rate of 6.05 pence per loan.
Added: 3 Feb
With public libraries in Scotland attracting over 30 million visitors per year, the Scottish Library and Information Council has today published new reports about the quality of local library services, demonstrating the success of £500,000 annual Scottish Government investment in libraries across Scotland.
Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Dundee, East Lothian, Fife, Highland, Inverclyde, Midlothian, Moray, Perth and Kinross, South Lanarkshire, Stirling and West Dunbartonshire were evaluated for the latest round of reports, with six of the regions – Aberdeenshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Midlothian, Moray, South Lanarkshire and Stirling - receiving an excellent rating for at least one area of the assessment.
The Scottish Government supports the evaluation process through the Public Library Quality Improvement Fund (PLQIF). In 2011-12 the fund has a particular focus on encouraging digital participation – funding local library projects to help people get online, learn to use digital reference services, support reading promotions and community history projects.
Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “Public libraries are an important part of our culture and education system and are increasingly helping people to get online. They are the ‘living rooms’ of our communities, vibrant social spaces for meeting and engaging, learning and entertainment. That is why I am delighted to confirm that the Scottish Government’s £500,000 Public Library Improvement Fund will continue in 2012-13. This fund is designed to help local libraries evaluate and improve the services they provide, and these reports - in the Year of Creative Scotland 2012 - demonstrate the success of that investment.”
The fourteen services evaluated receive good, very good or excellent ratings for service provision. PLQIM is a peer-reviewed self-evaluation tool which encourages continuous improvement in public library services. The framework was developed by the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) to provide a benchmark for quality service provision and looks at seven areas: information, community engagement, reading, learning, ethos, resources and leadership.
Elaine Fulton, Director of the Scottish Library and Information Council said: “The provision of quality library services is crucial to ensure that people have the support they need to develop their skills, realise their aspirations and contribute to the economic growth and wellbeing of the country.
“The PLQIM matrix provides a benchmark for quality and we are delighted with the results of the latest round of reports and welcome the Scottish Government’s announcement of the continued funding which will help to provide communities with access to the services, information and advice that they need.”
Libraries are at the forefront of combating the digital divide and have a crucial role to play in ensuring that no one in our society gets left behind by new technologies. The latest round of PLQIF funding includes library learning initiatives designed to keep users up to date with mobile technologies, smartphones, tablets and e-books.
Libraries remain one of the free universal services for communities where the population can visit as individuals or groups to pursue reading for pleasure, learning or hobbies. They also support the business community, individual and community information needs and are inclusive of all age and social groups, nationalities, genders and religious beliefs.
In addition to the visitors who use general library services, libraries also have over 300,000 registered learners following formal courses and an increasing number, now over 10% of the population, use learning centres in libraries.
Added: 31 Jan
Nominations are being invited for the 2012 Crime Writer's Association (CWA) Dagger in the Library, which recognises an author's body of work rather than one particular title.
Library users are asked to nominate thier favourite crime writers and the winner is selected by a panel of librarians. This year's panel will be chaired by Karen Fraser, Executive Manager at Shetland Library.
All nominations must be entered by Saturday 31 March.
Added: 20 Jan
The fourth annual survey of UK libraries' use of RFID is now underway. The information gathered is used to provide a snapshot of the spread of technology and allows users to gain information about their supplier's performance and other user's experiences.
The survey will be open until the end of January and the first returns will be published during February, and made available free of charge.
Added: 16 Jan
The story of Captain Scott's fateful expedition to Antarctica is being told at the National Library of Scotland (NLS). Documents on display show the struggle to raise money for the expedition which had to be funded privately.
The diary entries, newspaper cuttings and books written by expedition members tell of the hardships endured and the final tragic outcome.
Scott's last expedition runs until Sunday 25 March in the George IV Bridge building and entry is free.
Added: 13 Jan
CILIP has launched an online membership renewal service which will help to save time and effort compared to the paper returns. Members should log in to the CILIP website to access the system, and those paying by credit or debit card can complete the entire renewal online.
If you want to pay by invoice or cheque, the online renewal process allows you to update your details, including choosing your special interest groups and rate.
Added: 11 Jan
Scotland's Information
Research Collections Online
Scottish Library and Information Resources
Scottish Distributed Digital Library
Scottish Collections Network
Co-operative Information Retrieval Network for Scotland
© Send comments, suggestions and queries about SLAINTE to Gillian Hanlon. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 UK: Scotland License 03-Feb-2012
