Public Lending Right rate set at 11.76p per loan
The government has confirmed a Public Lending Right rate of 11.76p per loan for the 2023/24 scheme year, down from 13.69p.
On 8 January 2025 the Department for Culture, Media and Sport published its response to the consultation on the Public Lending Right rate per loan for the 2023/24 scheme year. It confirmed that it would proceed with the British Library Board's recommendation of 11.76 pence per loan, a reduction of 1.93 pence from 13.69 pence in 2022/23. A statutory instrument was to be laid to make the change.
Public Lending Right pays registered authors, illustrators and other contributors from a central fund for loans of their books from UK public libraries. The rate is found by dividing the available fund by the estimated number of loans of registered books, so when loans rise the rate falls. The department said the reduction reflected an increase in the estimated number of loans, with the fund itself broadly unchanged.
The consultation ran from October to November 2024 and drew responses from ten stakeholder organisations, the three devolved administrations and one registered author.
Why it matters: a lower rate per loan partly reflects more borrowing, which is good news for libraries, but it means each loan pays less. Authors, illustrators and narrators whose books are borrowed should make sure their titles, including audio and ebook editions, are registered.
Sources: GOV.UK: Consultation on the proposed rate per loan for the 2023 to 2024 PLR scheme year; GOV.UK: Government response, PLR rate per loan 2023/24.