Consultation on the proposed rate per loan for the 2025 to 2026 Public Lending Right Scheme year
Consultation description
The Public Lending Right (PLR) is a right for registered authors, illustrators, narrators and other book contributors (rights holders) to receive payments from a central fund for the public lending of their books by libraries in the UK. The 2025 to 2026 PLR Scheme year applies to the lending of physical books and audiobooks, e-books and e-audiobooks and the remote lending of e-books and e-audiobooks from public libraries.
Each year the British Library Board (which is responsible for administering the PLR Scheme) makes a recommendation to the Secretary of State of the rate per loan to be paid from the PLR fund to rights holders. The British Library Board has calculated the rate per loan using national loans data collected from all statutory public libraries in the UK. The total registered loans figure in respect of all books/audio books/e-books registered for PLR is divided into the money available for distribution from the PLR fund
The British Library Board has proposed a rate per loan of 13.63 pence for payments in the 2025 to 2026 Scheme year. This is an increase of 1.23 pence, from 12.40 pence (in 2024/25). This proposed increase primarily reflects a decrease in the number of registered and qualifying book loans over the previous PLR Scheme year. Other factors such as an increase in the number of registered authors and the funding allocated by the British Library for payments to rights holders also affect the rate per loan calculation.
This consultation invites views from rights holders and other interested parties on the proposed rate per loan for the 2025 to 2026 PLR Scheme year.