The Public Lending Right (PLR) allows the reimbursement to the authors for the loss of income caused by their books being freely available in public libraries. It was launched in 1979 and funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Authors do not have to register with the scheme to be eligible for a payment. Still, they must be residents of the UK – which also includes citizens of other countries living here – and their books must have been published here.
The Public Lending Right (PLR) pays authors a sum each time one of their books that qualifies under its rules is borrowed from a public library. The most an author can receive is currently £6,600 (about $8,800) per book per year.
The scheme aims to encourage authors to make their work available through libraries.
Over the past few years, the Public Lending Right (PLR) office has been working to boost awareness of and participation in the scheme among authors. It’s also been trying to streamline registration. The office is currently investigating whether e-books could be included in the future.
Public Lending Right (PLR) is a crucial element of book publishing. It ensures that authors receive payment when their work is borrowed from public libraries, a significant source of income for many writers, allowing them to write more books and keep on publishing.
However, Public Lending Right (PLR) also matters in the broader sense. It helps support library services and new book production – therefore, people’s access to information and knowledge generally.