FOI request (FOIR-744533011)

Data on the supply by public libraries of digital books to children and young people across the UK

Requested Thu 28 August 2025
Responded Wed 03 September 2025

The questions that follow will be sent to all local authority providers of library services in the UK.

DIGITAL

1. Who is/are the current supplier(s) of digital books (e-books and e-audio books) to your public library?

2. Which other suppliers of digital books (e-books and e-audio books) have you used in the last 10 years?

QUANTITY

3. How many physical books do you currently have available to borrow aimed at children, defined as readers aged under 18 years old?

4. How many e-books do you currently have available to borrow aimed at children, defined as readers aged under 18 years old?

5. How many e-audio books do you currently have available to borrow aimed at children, defined as readers aged under 18 years old?

6. How many physical books do you currently have available to borrow classified as 'juvenile'?

7. How many e-books do you currently have available to borrow classified as 'juvenile'?

8. How many e-audio books do you currently have available to borrow classified as 'juvenile'?

9. How many physical books do you currently have available to borrow classified as 'young adult'?

10. How many e-books do you currently have available to borrow classified as 'young adult'?

11. How many e-audio books do you currently have available to borrow classified as 'young adult'?

SPEND

12. What is your current pa spend on physical books?

13. What is your current pa spend on e-books?

14. What is your current pa spend on e-audio books?

15. What is your current pa spend on physical books classified as 'adult'?

16. What is your current pa spend on e-books classified as 'adult'?

17. What is your current pa spend on e-audio books classified as 'adult'?

18. What is your current pa spend on physical books classified as 'juvenile'?

19. What is your current pa spend on e-books classified as 'juvenile'?

20. What is your current pa spend on e-audio books classified as 'juvenile'?

21. What is your current pa spend on physical books classified as 'young adult'?

22. What is your current pa spend on e-books classified as 'young adult'?

23. What is your current pa spend on e-audio books classified as 'young adult'?

USEAGE

24. How many book lends did you make in 2025?

25. How many book lends did you make in 2024?

26. How many books were not lent out at all in 2025?

27. How many books were not lent out at all in 2024?

28. How many lends of e-books did you make in 2025?

29. How many lends of e-books did you make in 2024?

30. How many e-books were not lent out at all in 2025?

31. How many e-books were not lent out at all in 2024?

32. How many lends of e-books aimed at children - defined as readers aged under 18 years old - did you make in 2025?

33. How many lends of e-books aimed at children - defined as readers aged under 18 years old -did you make in 2024?

34. How many e-books aimed at children - defined as readers aged under 18 years old - were not lent out at all in 2025?

35. How many e-books aimed at children - defined as readers aged under 18 years old - were not lent out at all in 2024?

40. How many lends of e-audio books did you make in 2025?

41. How many lends of e-audio books did you make in 2024?

42. How many e-audio books were not lent out at all in 2025?

43. How many e-audio books were not lent out at all in 2024?

44. How many lends of e-audio books aimed at children - defined as readers aged under 18 years old - did you make in 2025?

45. How many lends of e-audio books aimed at children - defined as readers aged under 18 years old - did you make in 2024?

46. How many e-audio books aimed at children - defined as readers aged under 18 years old - were not lent out at all in 2025?

47. How many e-audio books aimed at children - defined as readers aged under 18 years old - were not lent out at all in 2024?

BOOKLIST

52. Please provide a list of all the ISBNs for the physical books you currently offer in your library service aimed at children - defined as readers aged under 18 years old.

53. Please provide a list of all the ISBNs for the e-books you currently offer in your library service coded as juvenile or 'young adult'. This information will be available from your digital book supplier.

54. Please provide a list of all the ISBNs for the e-audio books you currently offer in your library service coded as juvenile or 'young adult'. This information will be available from your digital book supplier.

CONTACT

55. Please provide the contact details of the department at your local authority responsible for library services to people aged under 18 years.

REPORTING

56. Please provide a list of the data categories you collect relating to library borrowings.

57. Please provide a list of the data categories you collect from your digital book supplier relating to library borrowings.

SCHOOLS

58. Do you currently operate a scheme with schools in your area for the school to register their pupils with your public library service?

SYSTEMS

59. What library management system do you use?

SELECTION

60. Who selects the physical books in your collection?

61. Who selects the e-books in your collection?

62. Who selects the e-audio books in your collection?

63. What criteria is used to select the physical books in your collection?

64. What criteria is used to select the e-books in your collection?

65. What criteria is used to select the e-audio books in your collection?

---

Response

Information not held.

Libraries are the responsibility of East Sussex County Council, please visit their website for further information:

https://www.eastsussex.gov.uk