Australian Libraries See Surge in Borrowing as Cost of Living Rises
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Libraries across Australia are experiencing a renaissance, with a significant increase in both physical visits and borrowing rates. A recent report revealed that a crime fiction novel was the most checked-out book in 2025, highlighting a continued appetite for reading even as digital entertainment options proliferate.
The latest Australian Public Libraries Statistical Report showed a 10 percent increase in in-person visits across the country. This resurgence is largely attributed to the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, with libraries offering a free and accessible resource for entertainment, education, and community connection.
A Return to Community Hubs
According to data from Brisbane City Council, residents frequently borrowed not only novels but also cookbooks, children’s classics, and young adult series in 2025. A total of 5.3 million people visited the city’s libraries, and digital resources also remained popular, with 2.1 million e-books and audiobooks downloaded throughout the year. Nationally, the average person borrowed 6.5 items from Australian libraries in 2023-24 – the highest average in the last five years.
“We’ve seen a lot of people coming back to libraries as a way of not just maintaining their social connections, but in order to access their cultural offerings,” explained a creative industries researcher at Flinders University. The researcher also noted that libraries continue to be utilized for traditional resources, with many still borrowing DVDs, magazines, and newspapers.
What Australians Are Reading
The most borrowed book of 2025 was We Solve Murders by Richard Osman, loaned out an impressive 2,306 times from Brisbane City Council libraries alone. Here’s a breakdown of the top five most borrowed books in various categories:
Adult Fiction
- We Solve Murders — Richard Osman
- In Too Deep — Lee Child
- Here One Moment — Liane Moriarty
- Lola in the Mirror — Trent Dalton
- Nightshade — Michael Connelly
Non-Fiction
- The Let Them Theory — Mel Robbins
- Wifedom — Anna Funder
- The Anxious Generation — Jonathan Haidt
- RecipeTin Eats Tonight — Nagi Maehashi
- Memorial Days — Geraldine Brooks
Junior Fiction Series
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid — Jeff Kinney
- Adventures Unlimited — Andy Griffiths
- Cat Kid Comic Club — Dav Pilkey
- WeirDo — Anh Do
- Wings of Fire — Tui T Sutherland
Young Adult Fiction Series
- The Hunger Games — Suzanne Collins
- A Court of Thorns and Roses — Sarah J Maas
- The Summer I Turned Pretty — Jenny Han
- A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder — Holly Jackson
- Powerless trilogy — Lauren Roberts
Libraries Evolve to Meet Community Needs
The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) reports that libraries across the country are seeing “huge numbers” of visitors. “At the moment, there’s a big push to make Australia a reading nation,” stated a communications and engagement director at ALIA.
Libraries are adapting to meet evolving community needs, particularly in the face of economic pressures. “One thing to know about libraries is that they evolve with the needs of the Community,” an ALIA representative explained. “Libraries reflect the communities that they serve, and they always evolve and adapt to meet their needs.”
The latest report, released in October, showed a 23 percent increase in items loaned out since 2019-20, with a total of 174 million items circulated in 2023-24. This demonstrates a clear return to pre-COVID levels of engagement and underscores the enduring value Australians place on their local libraries.
A researcher at Flinders University emphasized the vital role libraries play in providing access to trusted information, noting that collections are carefully curated to reflect the needs and values of the community. “You don’t have to buy anything. You don’t have to make a justification for being there,” she said. “You are welcome as a member of your community.”
