Public Lending Right (PLR) allows authors to be fairly paid for each loan when their work is lent through public libraries, receiving a modest payment (now around 13p) each time one of their books is borrowed, whether in print, ebook or audio format. For most authors, particularly those whose books are sold mainly to libraries or whose books are out of print but are still being read, PLR payments make up a significant part of their income.
Last year, we accepted the British Library board’s proposed increase in rate per loan to 30.53 pence for payments in the 2021/2022 year, an increase of 19.27 pence from 11.26 pence for the previous year. The increase reflected the central fund being unchanged and a reduction in the estimated number of loans of books registered for PLR due to Covid lockdowns that year. It was not an increase in the overall fund – which has remained static at £6 million for over 5 years – and most authors received very similar PLR payments to the previous year, but it was a necessary step to protect PLR payments
At that time, the Society of Authors repeated calls to the Government, to ring-fence the PLR budget and to increase the already meagre fund. Taking population into account, UK PLR funding is well below that of comparable EU countries: at £6 million net of administration costs, it compares badly with the £14 million annually in Germany (£11.2 million on a population-adjusted basis at current exchange rates).
We are therefore very disappointed to see that this issue was again ignored in the last spending review. This year, the British Library Board have proposed a decrease in the rate per loan to 13.69 pence per loan for the 2022/2023 year. Although we are pleased that library loans have increased to near pre-pandemic levels, earning a living has never been harder for authors, with ALCS last year reporting a 60% drop in median incomes for authors since 2006. Authors whose books are being read should not be punished with this regressive decision to decrease the rate per loan.
We have again called on the Government to review the PLR fund urgently. An improved PLR fund is an effective way by which the Government can support writers fairly, in a targeted way and at modest cost. There must also be additional funds allocated for payments now that PLR has been extended to ebooks and audiobooks.
We have also repeated our demand that volunteer libraries and school libraries as well as all non-public libraries are included in the Government’s calculations for the scheme, as this omission renders the number of loans artificially low.
Finally, the Government must fulfil its obligations to protect and maintain a ‘comprehensive and efficient’ library service, a service which continues to be under serious threat due to funding cuts. Instead, the Government must improve funding, including by providing additional funds for libraries to buy book stock. This issue is particularly acute in Northern Ireland.