Public Lending Right (PLR) provides authors with a modest payment each time one of their books is borrowed – whether in print, ebook or audio format – through public libraries. 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.
We are disappointed to see the government recommendation that the rate per loan be decreased for the second year in a row, from 13.69p to 11.76p. This is as a consequence of the fixed nature of the PLR fund and how the rate-per-loan is calculated. We appreciate that this decreased rate signifies an increased number of loans, which is in itself welcome news, but we do not feel it is acceptable for authors to see their income diminish – however marginally – at a time when author incomes are lower than ever, with the median income just over a third of the living wage (£7,000 per annum).
This proposal is all the more disappointing given the new government’s stated commitment to supporting the creative industries. We have again called on government to increase the PLR fund urgently. A larger PLR fund is an effective way by which government can support writers fairly, in a targeted way and at a modest cost. There must also be additional funds allocated to account for the increased scope of PLR since it was extended to ebooks and audiobook loans.
We also urged government to 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. Especially given the news of the increase in library loans, government must improve their funding, including by providing additional funds for libraries to buy book stock. This issue is particularly acute in Northern Ireland.
We set out all of our asks of government in relation to PLR in our response to their consultation.
