Public libraries were in decline last year, with book loans falling by 17 per cent overall and Floriana’s Central Public Library alone seeing a massive drop of 40 per cent.

The number of new library members fell by 17 per cent to 4,569, with a 10 per cent decline in the adult category and 21 per cent for juniors, according to the National Statistics Office.

These drops came in spite of a bigger choice of books: acquisitions by public libraries rose nearly 11 per cent over the year before, reaching 29,916.

There was also a slight decline of 2.6 per cent in the importation of printed books and periodicals, whose total value amounted to €15 million.

Private consumers spent €49.6 million on printed materials, two per cent less than in 2013. Expenditure on books fell by 4.1 per cent and on newspapers and periodicals by 1.9 per cent.