Public libraries nationwide had a total of more than 140 million visits last year, with books on self-help and artificial intelligence (AI) being the most popular, National Central Library (NCL) statistics showed.
The NCL statistics unveiled yesterday showed that reading participation and resource use at public libraries continued to grow amid a digital transition and facility upgrading.
Public library visits reached a record 146 million last year, up by 15 million from 2024 at an annual growth of 11.41 percent, reflecting a significant rise in public demand for library services.
Photo courtesy of the Taitung County Government
NCL Librarianship Development Division head Lu Pao-kuei (呂寶桂) said Japanese healing fiction became the most popular topic in the literature category, with 11 books on the lending chart last year.
How to Read a Book (如何閱讀一本書) hit the chart for the 10th time last year, while The Courage to Be Disliked (被討厭的勇氣) topped the lending chart for a fifth consecutive year, she said.
That showed strong demand for self-help books, Lu said.
AI-related books accounted for nearly one-third of natural science books, while social science books saw a shift in popularity from financial management to senior life, she said, adding that reflected a social structural change.
The cumulative number of library cards issued nationwide increased by 2.14 percent to 22.89 million last year.
Inter-library access card mechanisms enabled readers to conveniently use library resources without being restricted by administrative boundaries, the NCL said.
Libraries are no longer just places for storing books, but are learning platforms integrating physical and digital resources, it said.
Digital library service usage surpassed 1.1 billion at an annual growth rate of 24.04 percent last year, the statistics showed.
That showed digital platforms helped to transcend the limitations of time and space, giving readers greater access to library services, the NCL said.
Several newly built libraries opened to provide more equal access to reading resources between urban and rural areas, it said.
Taichung Public Library’s new main library, Taoyuan Public Library’s Qingpu Intelligent Technology branch and the Yunlin County Public Library System’s Mailiao Smart Library have recently opened, the NCL said.
Taitung County Public Library’s new main library would soon open as well, it said.
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