Public Library Estimates of Expenditure 2008
- total library spending in Ireland was set to increase by 10.7% over 2007 to €130.5 million.
- expenditure per head of population on public library services was set to increase from €27.81 to €30.78.
- all but one of the thirty two library authorities planned to increase their estimated spending on public library services.
- local authority expenditure on library stock was set to increase by 9.3% from €13.5 million to €14.8 million.
- twenty seven authorities planned to increase their spending on stock and four allocated the same amount as for 2007. One authority planned to spend less on stock in 2008 compared with 2007. Five authorities planned to spend less in 2008 than they did in 2004.
- local authority expenditure on stock stood at €3.49 per capita, increased from €3.20 in 2007.
- total expenditure on stock (including the Primary School Library Book Grant) was set to increase by 8.6% from the 2007 figure of €15.6 million to €17 million.
An Chomhairle welcomed the overall increased investment in the library service by local authorities, an increase which has continued since the publication of Branching Out, the first national policy report in 1998, and which will provide a solid foundation for the implementation of Branching Out: Future Directions.