Libraries are in decline. Book lending has dropped by two percent a year for the last decade across the UK – that’s according to government statistics and despite all the diversifying into lending DVDs and toys and even video games, the number of visits is also down.But it may not be irretrievable. Essex, Luton and Windsor have raised the prospect of putting books right back at the heart of what public libraries are about. They’ve done it by offering free downloads of e books. Demand is said to be very strong and much higher than anyone expected. Dan Franklin is head of e-books at the publishers Canongate. Lorna Payne in charge of development at Norfolk libraries.
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