Public Library Borrowing in Scotland

Just spotted this on the BBC web site - the most popular books borrowed from Scottish libraries in the last year. Overall borrowing dropped 8 million to 305m books (odd in a recession?).
Looks like children's books, Ian Rankin and thrillers are most popular.

1. Tiddler Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler
2. Sail James Patterson
3. Doors Open Ian Rankin
4. Exit Music Ian Rankin
5. 7th Heaven James Patterson with Maxine Paetro
6. Stick Man Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler
7. The Overlook Michael Connelly
8. The Naming of the Dead Ian Rankin
9. You've Been Warned James Patterson & Howard Roughan
10. My Sister Jodie Jacqueline Wilson

The only one I've read is Exit Music.

It looks like, for one thing, Scots are reading less and, for another, what they do read is fairly mundane. Not that there's anything wrong with reading Ian Rankin.

>2 David1312: - the top books in most countries lending lists tend to the mundane - they do, after all, reflect bestseller lists. What is interesting is that 3 children's books made the Scottish list but none made the UK list - this may be due to special campaigns to get children reading. Let's hope so.

This is not about the books per se, but about the impact of reduced library borrowings:

The reduction in borrowing is having an impact on rural libraries in Angus, with several being closed last month to be replaced by a mobile library service. The most significant impact is the risk of losing the Library at Edzell ... because:

"Edzell’s contents include a historic book issue system, the Cotgreave Indicator, which is still in working order. There is now an important opportunity for the people of Edzell and the local authority to develop a unique national museum of librarianship which would, among other things, extend the village’s tourist attractions."

(quote from letter to the Courier from (Dr) John Crawford. Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, 21 Polbae Crescent, Glasgow.)

Thanks for posting that Alexandra ... a good read, especially the scientific census references (lol). Rural Angus is taking several 'money saving hits' without public consultation just now, March it was the Libraries turn and now it is public transport that is getting trimmed. Perhaps they could combine the two and have the mobile library ferry folk from one rural location to another? One of the reasons I commute by bus is because it offers me uninterrupted reading time.

i live in glasgow love reading used to work in a library but cant remember the last time i actually borrowed a book. last time l went to the library there was plenty of best sellers and crime fiction but not a lot else. :(