Libraries in Lockdown report: ebook usage increased by 146%.

Wow. Fascinating reading from the Libraries in Lockdown report conducted by Libraries Connected.

Ebook usage increased by 146%.

That’s amazing.

I know that we contributed to the numbers. During lockdown, we downloaded Borrowbox onto our devices and were thrilled by the selection of ebooks and e-audiobooks available.

And, remember, the authors of the books you borrow are entitled to payment through the PLR scheme which was extended to include ebooks and e-audiobooks in 2018. (I’m talking about the UK here, folks, but you may want to check out whether something similar exists in other countries. Note to authors: make sure you’ve registered for payments.)

The report is a fascinating read in lots of respects. It’s great to see how resilient and flexible libraries have been in supporting people in new ways during lockdown.