In 2024, total book loans reached 710,399, an increase of 24,930 or 3.6% compared to the previous year.
The Southern Harbour and Western districts saw the largest rises in loans, with increases of 3.1% and 6.3% respectively.
In Gozo, Victoria public library had the most loans at 28,471, followed by Nadur with 24,225. The Fgura library accounted for over half of the increase in the Southern Harbour district. In the Western district, Attard and Siġġiewi libraries contributed 42.3% and 16.3% of loans, respectively.
Conversely, loans dropped in the Northern Harbour and South Eastern districts by 16.8% and 3.8%.
Birkirkara library had the biggest decline in Northern Harbour at 21.9%, though San Ġwann and Pembroke saw increases of 20.8% and 14.5%. Żejtun and Żurrieq libraries recorded the largest decreases in the South Eastern district at 26.2% and 17.8%.
Book acquisitions rose by 7.4% to 42,849, driven by increases in printed book purchases, donations, and eBook acquisitions.
New library members fell by 2.9% to 7,954, with adults making up 42.6%, down from 46.3%.
The National Library’s legal deposit items grew by 10.1% to 1,180. Imports and exports of printed books and periodicals fell by 8.2% and 19.3%.
Meanwhile, private spending on books rose by 6.1%, but newspapers and periodicals declined by 5.0%.
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