The most popular library books in Lincolnshire is The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman soon to be a Netflix film
Cosy crime drama is top of the page-turners when it comes to what people want from their library.
Bestselling author Richard Osman has been the most lent-out author in Lincolnshire since 2020 with his Thursday Murder Club mysteries, taking over from the likes of American thriller writer James Patterson, and Lee Child who created the Jack Reacher novels, now a hit film series starring Tom Cruise.
One of Osman’s most successful stories, in which a team of retirement village residents investigate unsolved murders, is also about to hit the international screen.
His 2020 title, The Thursday Murder Club, is being made into a Netflix film directed by Chris Columbus and starring Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, and Celia Imrie as the ageing amateur sleuths.
This will do Osman’s kudos no harm when it comes to library lending, as more people are drawn in by his crime comedies.
New figures reveal people visited Lincolnshire’s libraries a million times last year and took out over two million items.
This represents a 16% rise in visits and a 17% rise in titles being issued compared with the previous year.
On top of these regular visits, 87,000 people enjoyed activities and events put on at their libraries in Lincolnshire, including story time sessions, craft and coding clubs, family history and reading groups.
Library users have rated staff and customer experience 4.9 out of a possible 5 stars, and 80% said that ‘access to a wide range of books and other resources’ was the best thing about their library service.
Although the majority of library loans are physical books, an increasing number of library users are discovering the digital items the service offers
Digital magazines, newspapers and e-audiobooks have proven particularly popular, as these can be accessed with just a library ticket and without paid-for subscriptions.
In April 2023, the Lincolnshire Libraries app was launched for smartphones. It allows library users to manage their accounts, reserve and renew their loans, and check stock.
The app can act as a library card.
In its first full year since launching, the app had been used over 200,000 times by 5,000 library members.
Coun Lindsey Cawrey (Con), executive member for culture at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “It is so fantastic to see the popularity of Lincolnshire libraries, and the amazing positive feedback that we get from our library users.
“Since the pandemic we’ve noticed a change in the way people use our libraries. While the number of visits is growing again, there’s a trend of visiting the library less often than before the pandemic, but – as the number of issues has remained high – taking out more items on each visit.”
Lincolnshire has 15 core libraries: Boston, Bourne, Gainsborough, Grantham, Horncastle, Lincoln, Long Sutton, Louth, Mablethorpe, Market Rasen, Skegness, Sleaford, Spalding, Stamford and Woodhall Spa.
There are also 34 libraries operated by community groups, including Deepings Library, and seven mobile libraries providing books and services for eligible users.
Do you use the library and what books do you recommend to other readers? Share your views in the comments.
