How Australians Used Books to Escape Lockdown Blues

How Australians Used Books to Escape Lockdown Blues

While the challenges brought about by the pandemic are ongoing, if there’s one thing we have learnt, it’s that Australians have really turned to their love of reading. Libraries play a big role in this, and they did an amazing job at pivoting to suit the needs of readers stuck in lockdown.

Civica, in partnership with the Australian Libraries Information Association (ALIA), just released its 2021 Libraries Index, and the results are fascinating. They analysed data on more than 34 million books borrowed from libraries across regional and metropolitan Australia and New Zealand. That’s a HUGE number of books borrowed – something we love to see.

While 2020 brought plenty of twists and turns, Australians turned to reading mysteries and thrillers more than ever before. More than half of the top 20 books borrowed were thrillers, which are hugely popular amongst the Better Reading community, as seen in our 2021 Top 100. Jane Harper’s The Survivors and The Lost Man and Michael Robotham’s When She Was Good and Good Girl, Bad Girl were amongst the most borrowed books from libraries.

Another statistic we’re thrilled to see is that Australian authors comprise almost two-thirds of the most borrowed books. But we already knew that readers can’t get enough of incredible home-grown fiction!

The Libraries Index also notes the huge uptake in readers borrowing e-books, showing how we have changed with the times. While we still love a good old paperback, it’s great to see increased options for those who prefer e-books or audiobooks, all without having to leave their homes.

Related Articles

10 of the Most Famous First Lines in Fiction

News | Book Life

20 December 2023

10 of the Most Famous First Lines in Fiction

    Famous Last Words: 10 Best Last Lines in Fiction

    News | Book Life

    13 December 2023

    Famous Last Words: 10 Best Last Lines in Fiction

      Reading Habits: What Kind of Reader Are You?

      News | Book Life

      11 December 2023

      Reading Habits: What Kind of Reader Are You?

        10 New Year's Resolutions for Book Lovers

        News | Book Life

        8 December 2023

        10 New Year's Resolutions for Book Lovers

          The Votes Are In and Bookmarks Win!

          News | Book Life

          9 August 2023

          The Votes Are In and Bookmarks Win!

            The Writer's Room: Resources For Aspiring Authors

            News | Book Life

            21 January 2022

            The Writer's Room: Resources For Aspiring Authors

              Bookstagrammers Share 2021 Favourites and What They Are Most Excited to Read in 2022

              News | Book Life

              15 December 2021

              Bookstagrammers Share 2021 Favourites and What They Are Most Excited to Read in 2022

                Love Drama? 5 Fantastic Books Full of Drama and Intrigue

                News | Book Life

                15 December 2021

                Love Drama? 5 Fantastic Books Full of Drama and Intrigue

                  Have you ever wondered how to get your book published?

                  News | Book Life

                  12 November 2020

                  Have you ever wondered how to get your book published?

                  Bookstores with Catchy, Cool and Quirky Names

                  News | Book Life

                  3 June 2020

                  Bookstores with Catchy, Cool and Quirky Names

                    COMMENTS

                    Leave a Reply

                    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *