The Provincial Public Library of Málaga has recorded 70,875 users between January and May 2026, a decrease of nearly 5,000 compared to the same period last year. Document loans have also fallen.
The Provincial Public Library of Málaga registered a total of 70,875 users between January and May this year, which represents a decrease of approximately 5,000 people compared to the same period in 2025, when 75,805 visitors were counted. The decline, of 6.6%, has occurred progressively in all months of the first semester.
According to data provided by the institution itself, January was the month with the lowest relative attendance: 13,715 users compared to 14,557 the previous year, 842 fewer. In February, the figure was 13,866, down from 14,789 in 2025 (923 fewer). March recorded 14,027 users, 1,214 fewer than the 15,241 last year. April, with 13,552, represented 630 fewer than the 14,182 in 2025. And May, traditionally the month of highest activity, reached 15,715 users, compared to 17,218 the previous year, which represents a decrease of 1,503 people.
Regarding loans, during the first five months, a total of 18,998 transactions were made. Most corresponded to books, with 17,766 loans; followed by audiovisual documents (1,015), sound documents (117), and electronic documents (12).
Despite the drop in visitors, the library maintained an intense cultural activity. Between January and May, 276 in-person activities were organized, attracting 5,769 attendees. These figures reflect an effort to energize the space and offer leisure and training alternatives to the people of Málaga.
The Provincial Public Library, located in the capital, has a collection of approximately 400,000 documents. Of these, 227,503 are copies of newspapers and magazines (2,303 different titles), 149,604 books, 11,800 units of posters and postcards, more than 7,500 films and documentaries, over 5,100 sound documents, more than 3,380 electronic documents, over 530 scores, and about 266 maps.
The decrease in users occurs in a context of increasing digitalization and the availability of online services, although the library remains a reference point for students, researchers, and citizens in general. The institution has not specified the exact causes of the decrease, but it could be related to the rise of remote work and access to digital resources from home.
For the coming months, the library plans to maintain its cultural programming and strengthen the dissemination of its services, aiming to recover the lost attendance. Interested parties can consult the catalogue and activities on its website or visit its facilities directly on Avenida de la Aurora.
You may also like
