READING physical books is undergoing a similar revival to vinyl records among people in their 30s, a library official has reported.

A growth in library membership has been credited by a service manager to a desire among people, who were teenagers and in their early 20s during the explosion of digital media, to get their hands on books in the same way they now favour vinyl over streaming their favourite hits.

Richard Drinkwater said Monmouthshire County Council’s libraries are seeing a “steady increase” in membership, and the figure stands at around one third of the county’s population.

He said: “We are seeing a steady increase in library membership and a steady increase in younger readers coming in with their parents and an increase then in the over 35s. We’ve started to see that generation return to vinyl as a means of listening to music and they are engaging with books they want that physically and to hold them in their hand.”

But Mr Drinkwater, who was presenting Monmouthshire’s 2025 to 2030 library strategy to a council scrutiny committee, said older children and teenagers don’t consider libraries to be “cool’”.

He said: “From the last year in primary to secondary school we start to see them disappear. Libraries are not a cool place to be.”

The service is working with the council’s education department, “esspecially in Monmouth” with the comprehensive and Haberdashers’school, to attract readers from that age group and he said “any lessons learned will be rolled out”.

He said younger readers are being encouraged to “come in and tell us what you want, we have an idea but it’s probably a bit off.”

Libraries are running reading groups, intended to encourage people to read together and discuss books, said Mr Drinkwater.

The service also contacts primary schools, ahead of pre-arranged visits, so children can receive a membership card at the library. Mr Drinkwater said schools are contacted before hand due to the need to gain parental consent as children can’t sign themselves up instantly as was suggested by a committee member.

On membership council customer service boss Paul Sullivan said: “One third of Monmouthshire people borrow from our libraries. We probably think two thirds aren’t and how do we reach those.”

Footfall within the council’s four libraries in Abergavenny, Caldicot, Chepstow and Monmouth which are based in the council’s hubs, as well as Usk and its community library in Gilwern, increased to 200,000 visitors, though that includes people asking about council services. The council also recorded 100,000 digital library visitors.

To support readers unable to attend their local library the council has a “reach out” service described as its “best kept secret” as Mr Drinkwater said it is run by just one staff member who will collect and deliver books to registered members all across Monmouthshire. He said it only has capacity to support 100 readers and around 96 are registered at the moment meaning the service isn’t advertised but staff will inform people about it.