East Midlands sees biggest drop in libraries in the country

There has been a drop in the number of libraries in the region Credit: PA

The East Midlands has seen the largest drop in the number of its libraries since 2010 according to a new survey.

  • The number of libraries is down 6.1%, from 313 to 296

  • Spending is down from £62 to £56 million

  • Visits are down 6.9%, from 17.7 to 16.4 million

Meanwhile the West Midlands fared better than most other places in the country.

  • The number of libraries is down 2.6%, from 304 to 296

  • Spending is down from 6.8% to £93 to £86 million

  • Visits are down 5.8%, from 22.9 to 21.6 million

Figures released by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) also found visits to libraries across the UK have fallen by 14%.

Library funding has been cut by more than £180 million over the same period.

The survey also found a total of 106 libraries closed across the UK in 2014/15.

Elsewhere England's libraries fell from 3,142 to 3,076, while in Scotland the total dropped by just 1%, from 573 to 567. Wales suffered the biggest drop in thelast year, losing 11%, from 308 to 274.

The survey reports an increase in volunteering by 19% in 2014/15.

The number of full-time paid library staff dropped by 4% over the same period.

A spokesperson from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said: