Norfolk and Norwich on top again, while library book figures decline

Liz Thomson
News - Libraries Wednesday, 4th March 2009

The Norfolk and Norwich Millennium Library is the UK's most visited library for the second year running, with 1,500,695 visits, according to the latest Library Survey (2007/08 figures) from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) in association with the Museums and Libraries Archive Council (MLA). It also topped the borrowing table, with 1,139,090 books issued. Birmingham Central Library came second, with 1,357,148 visits, while Chelmsford Library issued the second highest number of books (742,048). However, the CIPFA figures showed a 2.6% decline in library visits overall, and a 3.3% decline in active borrowers. Book stocks declined by 1.8%, and book lendings by 2.3%. There was a 1.5% drop in spending on books and newspapers, while multimedia and CD-Rom spending increased (24.7%), as did online/electronic spending (10.4%). Critics will argue that the decline in visits and book lending is related to the decline in relevant expenditure.


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