The National Statistics Office has reported that in 2009, book loans from public libraries declined for the third consecutive year.

Provisional data for 2009 indicates an increase in imports of printed book material (5.2 per cent) and a drop in the imports of print periodicals (less 36.4 per cent) when compared to 2008.

Exports of printed book material and periodicals registered a decline when compared to 2008. Book acquisitions by public libraries increased marginally during 2009 when compared to 2008 from 23,197 to 25,529.

Book donations (including acquisitions by local councils) continued to be the main source of acquisitions, with 24,322 books of the 25,529 acquisitions being donated to the public libraries.

New membership in public libraries during 2009 amounted to 5,049, a decrease of 4.4 per cent over the previous year. For the third year running, total book loans from public libraries declined. Although the decline was marginal in 2009, the decrease is equivalent to 13.8 per cent compared to 2006. Branch libraries in Gozo, however, experienced an annual increase of 11.4 per cent in book loans when compared to 2008.

Private consumption expenditure on books, newspapers and periodicals showed an overall increase during 2009 when compared to 2008. This can be attributed to an increase of 12.6 per cent in the expenditure on books which compensated a decrease of 3.3 per cent in the expenditure on newspapers and periodicals.

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