Book loans increase by 8% in the first four months of this year

Book loans from public libraries have grown 8% during the first quadrimester of 2024, compared to the same January-April period the previous year.

Data from Malta Libraries shows that between January and April 2023, a total of 224,128 books were borrowed, increasing in 2024 by 19,716 to reach 243,844. These figures also include the loans of ebooks and talking books, and books borrowed from libraries found in elderly homes.

33,515 physical books were borrowed from the Central Library of Beltisebħ in the first four months of this year. The majority, 70% were borrowed from the junior library at Beltisebħ. The three libraries with the largest number of physical book loans after Beltissebħ were Luqa Regional Library, Birkirkara Regional Library and Mosta Regional Library.

In Gozo, the number of physical books borrowed from the public libraries amounted to 33,073, mainly from the Central Library in Victoria were the Branch Libraries of Nadur, Xewkija and Għajnsielem.

Ebooks registered an increase of 62% in loans when compared to the same period last year. While in the period spanning between January and April 2023, 13,174 ebooks were borrowed from Malta Libraries’ Libby App, the number of ebooks that were borrowed in the same period this year increased by more than 22,000 and rose to 35,313.