THE READING HABIT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21100, 6 February 1932, Page 9 (Supplement)

THE READING HABIT.

BRITAIN'S BOOK OUTPUT. In spite of tiie economic crisis, states the Publishers' Circular and Booksellers' Record, 14,688 books were published in Britain during 1931, compared with 15.393 in 1930, a decrease of 705, or 4.58 per cent. It i s added that '* Buy British " had been in automatic operation for many years among British book-buyers, few of whom bought anything but the products of their home presses. The " noteworthy fact " is recorded that " the reading habit is growing' from year to year, and that in times of depression it spreads more rapidly than ever. Each year more people depend on books for some park of-thek vocational training or information, general culture, or recreation, and thus new readers—and, in time, book-buyers—are constantly in the making. In recent years there has been an amazing increase in the amount of reading done by the general public." The following, figures show how the numbers of books issued during 1931 compare with those issued during the previous year, the totals for 1930 being given first:—New books, 9907 and 9197; translations47B and 389: pamphiets, 1218 and 977; new editions, 3760 and 4125. Twelve classes of literature increased their share of the total, including literature, fiction, games and sports, and philology. The greatest decreases were in poetry and drama, religion, history, and biography.