- New consultation aims to improve the collection of data used to make calculations fairer for payments to authors
- Authors of the most loaned books can earn up to £6,600 per year through the scheme
- Proposed changes would simplify system to allow the estates of deceased authors to access funds more easily
The scheme, which provides authors with an income of up to £6,600 from loans of their books from libraries in the UK, pays out more than £6 million each year. The rate paid to authors for each loan is calculated by dividing the total money available by the estimated total annual number of loans in public libraries. Currently, 30 sets of council data are used to make calculations. Today's consultation seeks to empower the British Library to move towards collecting comprehensive loans data from all library authorities in the UK to ensure authors benefit accordingly to get their fair share.
The consultation is seeking to simplify the process for those who have inherited rights to a book from a deceased author, removing unnecessary, bureaucratic processes like the requirement to involve legal professionals.
Arts & Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay said:
Libraries are a vital resource which give everyone free access to the enjoyment, escapism, and educational benefits that books bring.
Without authors, libraries would not exist. That's why we're consulting on changes which will ensure that writers receive their fair share of money from people enjoying their work through libraries.
Phil Spence OBE, Chief Operating Officer of the British Library, said:
We welcome these proposed changes to the Public Lending Right scheme, which will enable us to further improve processes, systems and capabilities and to better serve authors and creators whose works are loaned from public libraries.
The British Library receives funding from DCMS to run the Public Lending Right scheme and payments are made annually to eligible authors who register their work. Authors residing in the UK or European Economic Area are eligible to apply.
Richard Osman's novel The Thursday Murder Club was the most lent book from libraries in 2021/22, while authors including Roald Dahl, Daisy Meadows and Lee Child were among the top ten most popular authors.
It is intended that the proposed changes to the Public Lending Right Scheme, which was established in 1982 and is administered by the British Library, will come into effect later this year.
Authors can earn up to £6,600 per year through the scheme.
Notes:
A consultation on these proposals will be open from Wednesday 28 June to Sunday 6 August. The Government then plans to bring forward changes to the legislation later this year.
