Libraries are booming

“It’s no longer about hoarding books”

The Graz City Library, South Branch

(Bild: Chrissi Rechling)

Reading borrowed books is the trend. The number of books borrowed from the East Branch of Graz City Library has tripled in the past two years. Why this is the case and how libraries in Styria are changing.

15 euros a year for as many books as you can read: The price alone is a big argument for library membership. Children up to the age of 18 can even borrow books for free in Graz. And yet it takes more than that to reach the reading-enthusiastic population. "The number of media is becoming less and less important. It's not about hoarding books, but about having a selected, up-to-date collection," says Marie Therese Stampfl, head of the Graz City Libraries with nine locations and 27,000 active members. "You want to avoid the flood of information."

The librarians' recommendations and purchasing decisions are crucial. "They know the readers best," says Stampfl. At the East Branch, for example, there is a dedicated table with books that go viral on TikTok. "Young people like to read and their focus is less on ownership than on use. They are environmentally conscious and value the culture of sharing," says Stampfl. 

Marie-Therese Stampfl

(Bild: susanne hassler-smith)

Expensive books make bookworms more frugal
Of course, this also has to do with inflation. "Books have become expensive. All social classes are feeling the effects." A cookbook can cost 50 euros, a hardcover bestseller a good 25. "That's a lot of money, especially for parents with children. Some borrow 30 or 40 books at a time." Nevertheless, Stampfl does not see libraries as competing with bookshops.

The 1800 Tonies on offer are also well received - they are the most borrowed items. In the so-called "Dingeborg", there are 150 things to borrow - from stand-up paddles to blood pressure monitors and waffle irons. "We borrowed this 60 times until it was broken. It goes down really well."

A room in the Zanklhof

(Bild: Chrissi Rechling)

Budget cuts mean fewer books
The budget cut of minus 13 percent hits Stampfl "hard", as rent and books have become more expensive. "Less budget means fewer books," she warns. Nevertheless, she wants to continue with readings, computer workshops, sewing courses and reading together. "The space itself is becoming increasingly important. Pupils come to learn, older people come to read newspapers." It is a "living room for the whole city" - and wants to stay that way.