§ Mr. R. Gibsonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many books were lent from the public libraries of Greenock, Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Scotland, respectively, during the months of January, 1939, and January, 1940, respectively; and whether he has any statement to make regarding the effect of the black-out on home-reading in Scotland?
§ Mr. ColvilleThe following figures have been furnished by the public library authorities named:
Numbers of Books lent from Public Libraries. January, 1939. January, 1940. Greenock 26,022 26,698 Glasgow 282,197 245,962 Edinburgh 253,252 193,277 I regret that I am unable to give corresponding particulars for the whole of Scotland. The conclusion of the library authorities named above, arrived at after taking into account the absence of normal readers who have been evacuated or have departed on emergency service, is that the "black-out" conditions are stimulating the demand for reading materials. Owing to the "black-out," readers are now making greater use of the libraries in the forenoon and afternoon than in the evening.