Authors are set for a modest pay rise from library lending next month. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has confirmed the Public Lending Right (PLR) rate will increase to 12.40p per loan from 11.76p, taking effect on Monday 9 February 2026. The Statutory Instrument was made on 6 January and laid before Parliament on 8 January, signed by Twycross, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at DCMS, according to legislation.gov.uk.

PLR is a central fund that pays writers when their books are borrowed from public libraries across the UK. It covers physical loans as well as remote loans of e‑books and audiobooks, a crucial inclusion as reading habits blend print and digital. Payments are based on notional loan counts and a single rate per loan, making the scheme simple to model for cashflow.

On the numbers, the move is a 5.4% uplift in the rate per loan. Market Pulse UK’s calculations show that 1,000 notional loans will now pay £124.00 versus £117.60 previously, while 5,000 loans rise to £620 from £588. The difference isn’t transformative, but for working writers it is a welcome nudge in a year when costs remain sticky.

For mid‑list authors, PLR is often the most predictable income line outside of advances and retail royalties. An author whose backlist clocks roughly 12,000 annual library loans would see around £1,488 at the new rate, about £77 more than before. For children’s authors and translators-whose works are heavily borrowed-these increments add up over time.

Library borrowing patterns continue to evolve, with digital lending now firmly part of the mix alongside physical visits. Because PLR includes remote e‑book and audiobook loans, the scheme remains aligned with how readers actually access books-useful for authors whose titles do well in digital catalogues even if shelf space is limited locally.

DCMS notes that no full impact assessment was produced for this change, signalling limited expected sector‑wide disruption. The PLR is funded from a central pot rather than local library budgets, so the shift should not alter day‑to‑day library operations or acquisition policies. For councils under budget pressure, that clarity matters.

The order applies across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Technically, it varies article 46(1)(a) of the PLR Scheme by substituting 12.40p for 11.76p. The timetable is straightforward: made on 6 January 2026, laid on 8 January 2026, in force from 9 February 2026. The legal text is published on legislation.gov.uk.

What should authors do now? Ensure all eligible works-print, e‑book and audiobook-are correctly registered with the PLR office, and double‑check metadata so loans are attributed properly. Agents and accountants may want to refresh 2026 cashflow forecasts to reflect the higher rate, especially for catalogues with significant library circulation.

For planning purposes, a simple rule of thumb helps: every 5,000 loans adds roughly £32 more under the new rate; 20,000 loans adds about £128. That won’t change a household budget on its own, but it can cover an editor’s invoice, a school visit train fare, or a marketing push for a paperback release.

This adjustment follows a series of small variations to the Scheme, the most recent before this being brought into force by S.I. 2025/11. It’s a measured signal from government that library lending remains part of the creative economy’s earnings mix. We’ll track how the 2026–27 data shake out, particularly the digital share of loans and any subsequent rate decisions.