The bar chart compares the number of items borrowed from public libraries in the UK in 1995, 2000 and 2005. The figures are given in millions and include adult fiction, adult non-fiction, children’s books and audio-visual materials.
Overall, the number of borrowed items decreased over the period. Children’s books were by far the most borrowed category in 1995, but their figure fell sharply afterwards. In contrast, audio-visual materials became the most popular category in 2000 and 2005. Adult fiction remained the least borrowed type throughout the period.
In 1995, children’s books had the highest figure, at 1,113 million items. This was followed by audio-visual materials, with 330 million. Much lower figures were recorded for adult non-fiction and adult fiction, at 107 million and 98 million respectively. By 2000, the number of children’s books borrowed had fallen dramatically to 161 million, while audio-visual materials decreased slightly to 280 million. Adult non-fiction, however, rose to 113 million, and adult fiction fell slightly to 93 million.
In 2005, audio-visual materials were still the most borrowed items, although the figure had declined to 230 million. Children’s books continued to decrease, reaching 110 million. Adult non-fiction also fell slightly to 104 million, while adult fiction recorded the lowest figure, at only 60 million.