Library visits and loans recover post-pandemic but funding still dropping, CIPFA data shows

The number of library visits and book loans in Great Britain rose again in the year following the major Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns, figures released from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance & Accountancy (CIPFA) show.

The latest CIPFA annual statistics, covering the 12 months to end March 2022, show a 68% year-on-year uptick in library visits, from 915 per 1,000 people in 2020/21 to 1,536 per 1,000 people in 2021/22, with numbers recovering as libraries reopened after extensive closures the year before.

The number of books borrowed also increased, by 58%, from 1,119 books per 1,000 people in 2020/21 to 1,767 books in 2021/22. 

However total spending continued to decrease, reflecting a familiar pattern of year-on-year decline since 2018/19. Spending on libraries by government and local authorities fell 17% to £9,982 per 1,000 people in 2021/22, from £11,970 in 2020/21. In 2018/19, total expenditure stood at £12,646 per 1,000 people, showing spending has seen a 21% decrease over a four-year period.

The year since the pandemic has unsurprisingly shown an 8% decline in web visits and, while staff levels have remained relatively steady, the number of library volunteers has not recovered since lockdowns. Volunteer numbers have fallen from 0.39 per 1,000 people in 2020/21 to 0.23 over the last recorded year, a 41% decrease.

CIPFA c.e.o. Rob Whiteman said: “It’s encouraging to see that library visits are increasing since the pandemic, but the same cannot be said for funding and income levels, which still lag behind. Libraries are certainly facing a difficult road ahead.

“The fact that in-person visits are recovering shows demand for library services is still strong. Libraries are clearly still valuable to the communities they serve but given the drop in their income, sustained funding is crucial if they are to continue to be a vital part of the community.”

The annual CIPFA libraries survey is sent to all libraries in England, Scotland and Wales. This year’s figures are based on a 43% response rate.

Isobel Hunter MBE, chief executive of Libraries Connected, said: “These figures align with our own data and it’s heartening to see that book lending and library visits are recovering well from the pandemic. Libraries provide many other services that are not measured in this survey – such as e-lending, IT training, literacy support and cultural events – and our members tell us that these too are experiencing higher demand.

“But as the survey shows, libraries face an uncertain financial future. Their costs are rising like everyone else’s, yet they are being asked to make large savings. Libraries – and all local services – need to be funded fairly and sustainably so they can plan for the future and meet the needs of their communities.

“It’s important to note that these figures are from a time when Covid restrictions applied, and so don’t provide an up-to-date picture. Our own monthly survey of services shows that visits have increased a further 50%, and lending a further 16%, since the CIPFA figures were produced. Some of this growth is a result of so many libraries acting as ‘warm spaces’ over the winter.”

Library campaigner Tim Coates, a former m.d. of Waterstones, commented: "The public library service uses public money and both the public and politicians are entitled to know how much it costs and how well it is used. Not least, the management of the service should be open to scrutiny and could make good use of such information. For years CIPFA, who are paid to gather the data, have been criticised for not providing clear analysis and have never explained why they do not. It is unacceptable that only 43% of councils responded to the CIPFA survey: they all should. This year CIPFA have eventually provided a tiny amount of information that merely observes that libraries were busier in the second year of the pandemic than in the first. There is nothing in what they say – or anywhere else – to support the many claims made by the library sector that libraries experienced high demand for e-books, or that web events were widely used."