E-book borrowing boosts library membership during lockdown

The total number of library service users grew in the first three weeks of lockdown, as 120,000 people joined their local libraries. E-book library loans more than tripled during the period, according to membership body Libraries Connected, and the associated extra investment in digital resources will have a long-term effect on public library services. CEO Isobel Hunter said that although library buildings remained crucial, the lockdown had accelerated the service's move to digital.