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Further falls in library use as book stock still suffers
02.11.11 | Benedicte Page
The latest annual statistics for the public library service show further falls in overall usage of the service amid a continuing decline in spending.
Both the number of library "service points" on offer and the number of books available for users to borrow dropped again, continuing the pattern of recent years. Children's fiction was the only area to show a small increase in overall book stock and lending.
The statistics, which cover the year to 31st March 2011 and are collated by The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), show overall spending on the service down 2.3% to £1.16bn (from £1.19bn) with book acquisition dropping across the board.
The steepest decline was in adult non-fiction, where acquisitions fell by 13.7% to 2.36m. Adult fiction acquisitions fell 7.4% to 4.58m, children's fiction fell 7% to 2.92m and children's non-fiction fell 5% to 659,000. Total book stock held by libraries dropped to 98.3m from 99.2m last year. Library numbers dropped from 4,612 to 4,579.
In the context of this diminished provision, overall visits to library premises were down 2.3% to 314.5m (from 322.1m the previous year) and book issues down 2.9% to 300.2m (from 309.3m). In an unexpected development, the number of web visits to libraries, which had risen sharply across the previous four years, also dropped in 2010-11, falling from 120.4m to 114.8m.
The brightest point within the statistics is once more children's lending, with fiction borrowing slightly up from 81.3m loans the previous year to 81.6m. However children's non-fiction lending showed a marginal decline.
The latest fall in overall use of the service coincides with a notable rise in the involvement of volunteers, for the second year running. Numbers of volunteers in UK libraries rose 22.3% last year to 21,462 people, while paid library staff dropped 4.3% to 23,681.
Library e-book lending figures are not included in the current CIPFA annual statistics.
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Declines are not really surprising given the fact that councils started cutting the services more drastically over that period. What is interesting is up until the surge in cuts, library usage was increasing and book loans had slightly increased. Put the investment back in and stop closing libraries and you will soon so an increase in usage once more.
"Numbers of volunteers in UK libraries rose 22.3% last year to 21,462 people, while paid library staff dropped 4.3% to 23,681."
This says it all really. Volunteers can add value to public services, of course they can, but they should never (as Philip Pullman and others have articulated elsewhere) replace professionally-trained librarians. Not sure whether Cameron and his buddies quite get this as part of their big society agenda!
Interesting about the fall in number of web visits to libraries, is that because quite a lot of websites are pretty unattractive, not v user-friendly, difficuly to navigate etc, constrained as they are by council guidelines etc?
It would be interesting to get an estimate of e-book lending figures to see if they account for any of the drops in lending and acquisitions.
Have you tried to lend an ebook from your public library service? You should try. The service sucks. One book for a 3 week loan. For the 3 books I wanted I am now on a waiting list until February to loan one, March for the other two. This is not the library's fault, it is that of shortsighted publishers and inept print suppliers. The publishers are strangling the public library service in ebook form as they see no revenue to be earned so why support a channel that generates no money? Can't blame them really.
Beware of an ‘apples and pears’ issue on the staff and volunteer numbers quoted. The staff numbers are ‘full time equivalent’ and the volunteer numbers are not ‘full time equivalent’. Thus two part time staff working 18 hours a week count a ‘1 staff member’ and a volunteer working 1 hour a week counts as ‘1 volunteer’.
The proportion of library work done by volunteers is really quite low at present. Bookseller readers will no doubt have their own views as to whether this is good or bad thing.
This is the way the [library] world ends. Cut funding, cut staff, cut hours, cut locations. Of course the numbers will drop. Before the cuts, as someone pointed out, numbers were up. Here in the U.S. we are a step or two behind your bad news, but are catching up. If the private sector (publishers, ebook lenders such as Amazon Prime) gets its act together, it will be the last nail in the coffin. See The End of Libraries, Part I and II, at my site.
It is very sad for society and demoralising for professionals to be devalued to the extent that volunteers are being considered as adequate replacements. Society suffers since there are less paid jobs available overall. and libary users are being sold short by not having access to skilled staff.
Library staff are increasing usage of services, only to be rewarded by having to support volunteers , who should be entitled to paid work.
Councils are being encouraged to make increasing number of initiatives in order to put their own employees on the Jobseekers' Allowance. Local government shifts staffing costs onto central government budgets
I am a mum and a rookie blogger
I talked about how upset I am at the 3 planned Camden libraries closure. Here is the post
http://fromfuntomum.blogspot.com/2011/11/is-it-sad-goodbye-to-our-specia...
what can be done to stop it? Can you help or share advice?
Thanks
From fun to mum, if you are on Facebook do join our Fight For Libraries Facebook page, where campaigners share information and views, and there are links to other campaign groups.
Next the councils will be using these figures to 'prove' that the public don't want to use libraries and so can close them 'look library borrowing has fallen', of course *deliberately* not seeing why the numbers are down i.e. no stock for anyone to borrow. Call me cynical but this has been the game plan by councils the whole time. Run down the stock so numbers drop so we can use this as proof needed to close down.
From fun to mum:
You might be interested in checking out Voices for the Library.
We're working with campaigns across the country and trying to pull together a number of events in the next few months to highlight the current situation. On the 19th Nov there will be a planning meeting to discuss a future protest...keep an eye on our site for further details.
I've been a Children's Librarian for 26 years and have had the pleasure of working in two London libraries, which served their local community. I also do not support their replacement with 'super libraries' - impersonal, sometimes intimidating and usually at some distance away.
I suggest you forward your delightful blog about the closure of your small but perfect library to the body that is collating a response to the DCMS handling of library closures i.e. CILIP (Chartered Institute of Library & Information Professionals) at policy@cilip.org.uk. They would be pleased to hear from a library user I'm sure.
Call me Cynical could be right as CIPFA stats show that Welsh libraries buck the UK trend of decline. The number of active borrowers and the total number of library visits both increased 2010-11. And for the first time 3 of Wales' libraries rank in the top 20 public libraries in the UK for the number of books issued. The Welsh Assembly Government has been investing, in partnership with local authorities, in modernising and improving Public Libraries. This commitment is set to continue as laid out in the strategic document 'Libraries Inspire': The strategic development framework for Welsh Libraries 2012-16 to be down loaded at www.cymru.gov.uk
Lucky I moved to Wales when I did.
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