Love of books and reading deteriorates further

Reading is the preferred hobby of 38 per cent of the country's adult population, according to a lifestyle survey by the National Statistics Office.

The survey showed that reading was most popular among those living in the northern district (42.3 per cent) and least in Gozo and Comino (29.9 per cent).

An analysis by educational level revealed that 59.8 per cent of the adult population having tertiary education indicated reading as one of their hobbies compared to 9.4 per cent of those with no schooling.

Membership of public libraries continued to register a falling trend last year, with 5,049 joining public libraries when compared to 5,257 in 2007, 5,917 in 2006 and 6,447 in 2005.

On a district level, the only one with an increase in both adult and junior membership last year was the northern district. Total public library book loans in Malta and Gozo continued to drop, down to 758,779 last year when compared to 813,153 in 2007; a drop of 6.7 per cent.

Private consumption expenditure on books, newspapers and periodicals also showed a negative growth over the previous year.

Expenditure on books went down by four per cent and expenditure on newspapers and periodicals dropped by 8.2 per cent. These drops could indicate a shift in reading patterns from printed book material to online journals and magazines, the NSO said.