The UK’s Public Lending Right Act (1979) ensures that authors receive a payment every time their works are borrowed from public libraries. In 2017, PLR was extended to cover e-books and audio books.
The UK PLR scheme is administered by the British Library from its offices in Boston Spa. Over 22,000 writers, illustrators, photographers, translators and editors who have contributed to books lent out by public libraries in the UK receive PLR payments each year.
The Society of Authors has collated messages of support and gratitude from writers including Philip Pullman, A.L. Kennedy and Carol Drinkwater. They can be read here: