Women are a third more likely to visit a library than men, with 30% of them walking through library doors in 2024/25, compared to 22% of men.
And, whilst women’s physical engagement in libraries increased by two percentage points between 2023/24 (28%) and 2024/2025, men’s engagement in those two periods remained the same.
This is according to a survey from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
Brixton-based actor, Victor Basso, 24, is a frequent library-goer.
He said: “I can say that for men of my generation, I think some would rather not make the effort to go to a library.
“I know that a lot of my male friends just prefer to look things up on the internet or use AI.”
Whilst there was a 0.8 percentage point increase in men using digital library services in 2024/2025 from 13% in 2023/2024, women’s digital engagement increased by two percentage points between 2023/2024 (15%) and 2024/2025 (17%).
Further DCMS research on the profile of library non-users found that men are more likely to think that libraries are irrelevant in the digital age.
He said: “I do think that libraries are still relevant today because there’s a lot of misinformation out there and it’s hard to find reliable sources.
“I go because it’s a quiet space for me to get away from technology, and where I can get some reading done.
“I can go and find my favourite genres and when I was at drama school I used to try and read a play a week so I borrowed lots of plays from the public library then, too.
“I prefer picking up physical books and I like that in libraries everything is categorised, so a book is always easy to find.
“But, I also go there to do my script writing because cafes can get really overcrowded and some don’t like people coming in with laptops.
“It’s a space where I can actually concentrate because I’m not distracted by noise and it’s also a plus that I get to support a local library.”
The DCMS also found that non-users with a lower awareness of library services and a feeling that libraries lacked personal relevance were more likely to be male.
Richmond-based Sam Hunt, 30, has not visited a library since graduating university eight years ago.
He said: “I don’t go because I usually just buy books and I tend to work at home.
“I think that I would be motivated to go to a library if I felt as if it made me more productive than working from home, but on my work from home days the last thing I want to do is to go outside.
“I do think that nowadays they are less relevant as we have access to the internet and find loads of books to buy online.
“But, I do understand that they are valuable to people who don’t have access to computers or the money to buy books.
“I don’t think libraries need to provide different services to cater to men. I think that more men would be tempted to go if they understood the positive, community aspect of going to one.”
The survey reveals that the level of physical engagement in libraries increased from 30% to 31% between 2023-2025 and similarly in digital engagement, from 14% to 16%.
And, despite borrowing or returning physical media remaining the most common physical activity type in libraries in 2024/2025 (61%), other activities such as socialising or visiting a library cafe went up by two percentage points between 2023-2025.
Former librarian Francesca Cross, 50, said: “I do think that in general, both younger men and women prefer to consume media online.
“But, when I worked as a librarian, I noticed that in general more women than men visited libraries.
“Libraries are a great way to feel part of your local community, everyone should be part of them.”
PhD candidate in English at UCL, Olivia Ho, who also works part time as a librarian said: “A library is a sanctuary, and it’s a gathering place for knowledge and stories.
“Historic libraries act as a repository of cultural memory and public libraries are free spaces, which is a rare thing in a society that is increasingly crushed by capitalism.
“A library asks nothing from you except your attention and respect.
“In a good library, you can find nearly any book you want, and some books you didn’t even know you wanted, and it doesn’t cost you a penny.
“It’s such a wonderful thing and everyone should have access to it. I think libraries are still important in our digital world as I don’t enjoy reading on screens.
“I think there is still a lot of love for the book as an object, and libraries are spaces to house them.
“Libraries also host a lot of community events, like book clubs or lectures or exhibitions, which gives people opportunities to come together in person that in the digital world doesn’t exist.”
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