Denbighshire’s Library Service is amongst the best performing library services in the whole of Wales, with figures showing they are more popular now than ever before.
Figures issued by CyMAL, the Museums, Archives and Library arm of the Welsh Government show that Denbighshire has the second highest visited library service across Wales, with 7,864 visits per 1,000 population. (second only to Cardiff.) This figure is collated through counting physical visits to libraries, virtual visits to the Library Service’s website, and attendance at events and activities organised by the service (eg Children’s Book Week, author visits, book promotions, etc). The Welsh average is 5,884, with Denbighshire performing 34% above the Welsh average.
Denbighshire is the third highest authority in Wales for issuing books and other materials, with 6,021 issues per 1,000 population. The Welsh average is 4,823 issues. Denbighshire performs around 25% above the Welsh average.
These figures come hot on the heels of the success of the Summer Reading Challenge, where Denbighshire was ranked best performing in Wales.
Jamie Groves, Denbighshire’s Head of Communications, Marketing and Libraries, said: “These figures reflect the tremendous amount of commitment involved in making Denbighshire’s library service one of the best in Wales.
“At a time where we see libraries closing in England, in Denbighshire we are bucking that trend. There has been a major investment in Rhyl Library and plans are progressing for a brand new facility in Prestatyn.
“The Council is also consulting on how our libraries should be developed in future. Libraries are much more than a place to borrow books – they are hubs in our communities and we want to work with residents and community groups to provide an even better service for the future”.
