ABC of Spain 2 / The sale of books in Spain has fallen by 18% since 2011, from 870 million euros to 707 million annual turnover of 3,650 libraries have you surveyed the Spanish Confederation of Booksellers’ Associations (Cegal). This entity has presented today in Madrid Spain Map of Libraries 2014, in which 912 closed in 2014, although they opened 226 new. The most commonly reduced are large bookstores, those above the € 1.5 million in annual sales, which rose from 40-29.
“We remain in crisis. It is worrying that are the oldest libraries are disappear, the hope is smaller “, said today the president of Cegal, Pilar Gallego, who has relied on the Comprehensive Plan Book and Reading Promotion will present shortly the Government and includes a program aid serves to boost the sector.
Only 29 libraries, one percent, exceeds 1.5 million per year in book sales, while the majority is in a strip billing ranging from 30,000 to 90,000 euros , which draws “a network of single microlibrerías in Europe, very close business,” said Miguel Flamarit, director the company that has made this map, BCC Consultors.
These booksellers, which function as “cultural workers” in their cities, resort to imagination to stop the bleeding in sales: 38% hosts book presentations, storytelling organizes 22.8% and 16, 7% do activities to encourage reading. “There are very inventive actions, such as organizing works of ‘amateur’ theater with readers and roll short” stressed Flamarit, which has not prevented pass 757 million in book sales in 2013 to 707 in 2014 a decreasing line that has held since 2011.
The eBook does not seem to be the solution, since 84.9% of the libraries not sold, a figure that has not changed ostensibly in recent years. “Here malignant competition in the sector is not digital book but illegal download, piracy,” he pointed Gallego. Of the total number of books sold last year, 20.2% were school, university and 4.7% were stationary mainly completed the income of most small establishments, with 24.2% of billing.
The most numerous are general vicinity libraries (35.4%), followed by general background (27.9%), specialty (27.6%) and general majoring, accounting for 9.2% of the independent libraries of books whose turnover is higher than 50% of their income, which are those contained in this map. Of these, 103 were founded before 1940, so Flamarit has asked for them, “a tribute, because it’s been a dictatorship and the transition and continue to live the book.”
In this regard, years most splendid of the sector were in 1980-1999, when 1,151 libraries were opened, while after 2000 the figure is reduced to 728. Last year 226 establishments welcome was given. “Not the euphoria of the eighties, but they are opening, but also close many,” said Flamarit, who has called for “solidarity” toward booksellers.
“In the history of this country did not have spent about as bad years as these so far. The situation is difficult, but we must be optimistic because there will come a time that grow in book sales, because since 2009 the decline have been tempering, and we believe that time is next, “he added. To support the guild, the Ministry of Education has budgeted 150,000 euros to modernize libraries, both in their physical spaces and new technologies, and has created a quality label for these establishments.
With information ABC of Spain 2
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