Last  year public libraries registered a significant rise  in book loans while new membership rose by more than a third.

Data published by the National Statistics Office shows that in 2023, total book loans reached 685,469, an increase of 25,853, or 3.9%, compared to the previous year.

Public libraries in the districts of Gozo and Comino and the Southern Harbour saw the largest increases in book loans, at rates of 9.6% and 4.5%, respectively. In Gozo, the public library in Victoria had the highest number of book loans with 30,962, followed by the Nadur public library with 24,253 loans.

Although most libraries in the Western district experienced an increase in book loans, the locality of Ħaż-Żebbuġ saw a significant drop of 87.1%, contributing to an overall district decrease of 9.7% year-on-year. No reason was given for this dramatic drop. 

The South Eastern district’s public libraries also recorded a decrease of 6.8% in book loans. The most significant drops were seen in Ħal Għaxaq (8,473 loans), Gudja (5,615 loans), and Mqabba (3,488 loans). Conversely, the Marsaxlokk public library in the same district saw an increase of 48.5%, totaling 5,682 loans.

In the Northern district, the public libraries of Mosta and Naxxar accounted for 50.5% and 15.0% of the total book loans in the district, respectively.

Book acquisitions in 2023 totalled 39,881, a 24.1% increase from the previous year. The largest increase was in book donations, which rose by 4,902, followed by eBooks, which increased by 3,892. However, book purchases decreased by 1,037 compared to the previous year.

New public library memberships in 2023 numbered 8,188, a 37.7% increase from the previous year. The proportion of new members over the age of 18 also rose, from 41.1% to 46.3%.

The National Library of Malta received 1,072 books and periodicals under legal deposit in 2023, a 21.7% increase from 2022, with the number of books surpassing periodicals.

According to International Trade Statistics data, imports of printed book materials increased while periodicals decreased in the past year. Conversely, exports of printed book materials decreased while periodicals increased. Overall, imports rose by 9.2%, whereas exports fell by 13.4% Additionally, National Accounts data showed that total private final consumption expenditure on books, newspapers, and periodicals grew by 2.0% and 2.7%, respectively.