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The government has launched a consultation on proposed changes to the Public Lending Right scheme to “ensure authors are paid their fair share when their work is enjoyed by library users".
The scheme, which provides authors with an income of up to £6,600 from loans of their books from libraries in the UK, pays out more than £6m each year. The rate paid to authors for each loan is calculated by dividing the total money available by the estimated total annual number of loans in public libraries. Currently, 30 sets of council data are used to make calculations.
The consultation, launched today (28th June), seeks to empower the British Library to move towards collecting comprehensive loans data from all library authorities in the UK to ensure authors benefit accordingly to get their fair share.
It would also remove the requirement, in certain circumstances, for an application for registration of a posthumously eligible book to be made by the deceased author’s personal representatives. This means a person registering books for the first time after inheriting from a deceased author may not need to have a solicitor/executor involved in making the application, "providing for a more efficient and less burdensome administration process" according to the government.
Phil Spence, chief operating officer of the British Library, said: “We welcome these proposed changes to the Public Lending Right scheme, which will enable us to further improve processes, systems and capabilities and to better serve authors and creators whose works are loaned from public libraries."
The British Library receives funding from DCMS to run the Public Lending Right scheme and payments are made annually to eligible authors who register their work. Authors residing in the UK or European Economic Area are eligible to apply. It is intended that the proposed changes to the scheme, which was established in 1982 and is administered by the British Library, will come into effect later this year.
Arts and heritage Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay said: “Libraries are a vital resource which give everyone free access to the enjoyment, escapism, and educational benefits that books bring. Without authors, libraries would not exist. That’s why we’re consulting on changes which will ensure that writers receive their fair share of money from people enjoying their work through libraries.”
Richard Osman’s novel The Thursday Murder Club was the most lent book from libraries in 2021/22, while authors including Roald Dahl, Daisy Meadows and Lee Child were among the top 10 most popular authors. The consultation will close on 6th August. The government then plans to bring forward changes to the legislation later this year.