More children get booked in for extra time at libraries
The number of primary school children using public libraries in Scotland has gone up.
A five year study by the Carnegie UK Trust carried out 10,000 interviews, and found Scotland to have the highest level of library use across the UK.
The study showed over 70 per cent of households with children at primary school are using public libraries, which is up 3 per cent since 2011.
Sixty-one per cent of the population said they would identify themselves as library users.
Although this figure has dropped by 11 per cent in the past five years, it still makes Scotland having the highest level of library use across the UK.
There has also been a rise in the number of occasional readers, such as those who only read a book every two or three months, and in the number of people from the lowest socioeconomic backgrounds using public libraries.
Morag Kelly, the head of libraries at Culture Perth and Kinross said: “The Carnegie UK Trust’s report provides some very interesting and important information about library services and the challenges and opportunities currently facing our libraries.
“Culture Perth and Kinross libraries and information services are committed to providing a service which Bookbug events have been a winner at Perth and Kinross libraries
responds to and supports the needs of our local communities.
“Our involvement in national initiatives such as Every Child a Library Member and Bookbug Early Years programme encourage and promote the value of libraries in supporting literacy and people’s well-being.
“While traditional booklending has seen a decline, visitor numbers to libraries in Perth and Kinross remain steady
and use of online services has seen a steep increase.”
Martyn Evans. chief executive of Carnegie UK Trust, said: “Public libraries remain an immensely popular civic resource, both in Scotland and across the rest of the UK.
“It’s extremely promising that there’s been a rise in library use in Scotland amongst households with primary school aged children, as well as an
increase in frequent use among a key socio-economic group.
“However, we know that the future success of public libraries depends on how effectively they respond to the changing needs of their communities.
“Local authority budgets are under severe pressure. All of us who value libraries’ rich and varied contribution to our wellbeing must provide clear and compelling evidence of their impact if future investment is to be secured.
“We also know that the public want libraries to do even more. People in Scotland told us that they would be more likely to use the library if they could access more council services there or the library held more events, had a cafe or coffee shop to be available on-site, and if they had better information about the activities on offer.”