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Harrogate has the most used library in North Yorkshire

Friday, 11 August 2023 07:00

Harrogate Library topped a list of the most used libraries in North Yorkshire last year.

Harrogate has the most used library in North Yorkshire Harrogate Library topped a list of the most used libraries in North Yorkshire last year. According to figures published by North Yorkshire Council, there were 237,100 books and e-books taken out at the library on Victoria Avenue during the 2022/23 financial year as well as 177,629 visits by residents. The figures show a big jump from the previous two years, which were disrupted by covid lockdowns and restrictions. In 2020/21, the library had 47,809 visits and in 2021/22 there were 122,409. Last year, Harrogate Library had more than 50% the number of visitors than the county’s second most popular library, which was Scarborough with 114,829 visits. [caption id="attachment_74820" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Harrogate Library has been popular in the past year.[/caption] Visitor numbers at other libraries in the former Harrogate district area include Knaresborough with 110,191, Ripon with 73,428 and Starbeck with 18,676. Embsay-with-Eastby Community Library was the least used library in North Yorkshire last year with 2,841 visits, however the volunteer-run library near Skipton is only open 9 hours a week. In 2015, the running of 31 libraries in the county was handed to volunteers in the face of mounting financial pressures brought on by austerity. In this model, the council’s library service continues to provide the infrastructure including books and public IT, as well as some paid staff support to ensure consistency across the county. The community libraries account for just under 40% of active library users and deliver on average 50 per cent of the total business for book lending and computer access. By Thomas Barrett, Local Democracy Reporter Read more local stories from Your Harrogate here.

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