It has been discovered that the number of books borrowed from Frodsham Library decreased by nearly 20% between the years 2015/16 and 2019/20, while its budget increased.

In response to Freedom of Information requests by Frodsham Nub News, Cheshire West and Chester council reported that, year on year, withdrawals from the town's library fell steadily from 75,384 to 61,602, with the value of library fines also dropping from £3,424.18 to £2,099.03.

The decline UK library is well documented: 773 – or 20% - of our libraries closed between 2010 and 2019 as footfall fell from 315million visits to 226million.

Our kneejerk reaction might be to blame this downward trend on a lack of interest in reading and books in general. Indeed, according to TGI consumer data from Kantar media, in 2019, only 51% of Brits were reported to have read one book in the last year.

However, a 2020 YouGov poll also found that at least 20% of us describe ourselves as 'avid readers', with two in five saying that we read for pleasure at least once a week.

The problem might not lie in readerly apathy, therefore, but perhaps in the way that we consume and enjoy books.

Studies show that, between 2015 and 2019, the amount of money spent by British consumers on books increased from £3.005billion to £3.709billion. People are buying books more than they ever did before, a fact which does not bode well for our local libraries.

Even if reading is not your thing, Frodsham library is host to a range of activities, from coffee mornings to colouring clubs. You can find out more here