8. Libraries and reading

British people read a lot. They read books, newspapers and magazines. And of course they read text messages on their mobile phones. Sixty-five per cent of British people list reading for pleasure as a major hobby. A quarter of the population reads more than 20 books each year.

So where do these books come from? Well, there are bookshops where you can buy books.

And there are lots of public libraries where you can borrow books for free.

The British Library is one of the world's greatest libraries. The Queen opened its new building in 1998. It receives a copy of every book published in Britain and adds 3 million new items every year. It's got books of course, but also sound recordings, music, maps, newspapers and magazines.

People predicted that radio, then television, then the Internet would kill reading, but it is still a very popular activity.