BBC Cites Brent Libraries for Increased Book Borrowing

A major BBC report has named Brent as one of the few library authorities in the UK where book borrowing is increasing.  Use of more up to date data would actually show a bigger rise in borrowing.  It shows that the decline bof libraries is not simply a result of social change but directly linked to central government imposed cuts.

That said, it is interesting to see the changes that the report does reveal.  Whilst Brent loans have gone up, visits have risen at a much faster rate.  that does suggest a move away from libraries being quite so book centred.  It is also striking that people across the country seem to be using the deskbound PCs less and often come with their own devices.  The number of people doing this is amazing even compared to a couple of years ago.  Brent Libraries Transformation Project had installing WiFi as one of its points, long before the Seighart Review recommended it for every library service. 

It shows how Brent was ahead of its time.