A New Chapter – Public Library Services in the 21st Century  

In 2012, Carnegie UK commissioned research throughout the UK and the Republic of Ireland which shows that people still love their libraries. Public libraries can’t stand still in a changing world: the public library service is at a crossroads and change is needed to respond to reduced levels of public spending, the challenges and opportunities of the digital age, and changes in people’s lifestyles and patterns of behaviour. The research provides data about levels of use, and frequency of use of libraries in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Ireland, about people’s attitude to public libraries, and about the things which people say would encourage them to make more use of public libraries.