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Hooked on books

Bookworms in London and Middlesex County have been busy lately.

Reports given to city council indicate library circulation in Middlesex County jumped three per cent since 2008, while London saw an increase of 7.4 per cent. Book reservations also increased by 48 per cent.

Beth Whitney, co-ordinator of collections at the London Public Library, said the economic downturn has contributed to the boost in circulation.

“We have a very active job search capability, and people come in looking to have the library help them find jobs.”

The increase in circulation is also a result of a concerted effort by the libraries to constantly update their holdings. New books, DVDs, audio-books and other multimedia materials are key to boosting circulation, according to Whitney.

“When we are looking for books to buy for the library, we look at reviews and Amazon rankings to see what people want and what is popular. We want to be prepared; we are buying titles and materials that won’t even be published until the summer,” Whitney explained.

With the release of the Apple iPad and the Amazon Kindle, Whitney expected local libraries to respond to the demand for eBooks:

“I think eBooks are the next big thing. If you look up book sales you’ll see this incredible curve upward. They’re going up exponentially. The usage is always up, but not at the expense of books.”

—Evan Lewis

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