Press Information: 11th November 1996

Background Facts and Figures

Public Libraries: Level of Service

177 public library authorities in the UK

(England 118; Wales 22; Scotland 32; Northern Ireland 5).

4,759 libraries in the UK. Of these 693 are mobiles.

Plus 19,136 service points in hospitals, prisons, old peoples' homes etc.

(England 16,811; Scotland 849; Wales 973; Northern Ireland 503).

Opening hours:

40 service points open for more than 60 hours a week; 690 from 45-49 hours; 1,598 from 30-44 hours; 1,656 from 10-29 hours.

Anyone living, working or studying full-time in a library authority's area has the right to borrow books without charge

Libraries also lend videos, audio and other information media cassettes. They may charge for these services.

Public Libraries: Staff

UK public library services employ 28,070 people including 7,231 professionally paid librarians

Most professional librarians are graduates with an academic qualification in library and information science.

68% of professional librarians are women.

Public Libraries: Using Libraries

60% of the population of England and Wales use a public library at some time during the year. 30% are regular users - about once a fortnight.

Heavy use is made of public libraries by teenagers, the elderly, the unemployed and those working from home.

All social groups use libraries but proportionately more come from social classes A, B and C1.

40% of men visit public libraries and 60%of women. Men visit more frequently.

Most recent figures (1994) show that people use libraries like this:

54% of the population borrow books

25% use them for reference or information

12% photocopy

11% borrow audio material

7% access community information

6% read newspapers or magazines

6% get careers information

6% use study facilities

6% borrow video

The Internet

According to industry estimates, as many as 40 million people worldwide have access to the Internet today, with that number growing at 10 to 15 per cent per month.

74% of users worldwide have access to the Internet only at their place of work or study.

At the end of 1995, fewer than one in four households in Britain owned a personal computer.

A generous estimate suggests that barely one per cent of households in Britain (that is fewer than around half a million people) have access to the Internet.

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News & Background Information

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Last revised 6th November 1996

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