The number of people who were members of a library fell from 4.3 million in 2001 to four million in 2005, the national statistics office CBS said on Monday.

The decline was almost entirely accounted for by adult lenders, who also borrowed fewer books. In 2005, the average adult borrowed 33 books a year, the average child 27.
While libraries now also stock sheet music, cds, dvds and magazines, books account for 90% of all lending, the CBS said.