According to The New Republic, if you publish a book in Norway, the government will buy 1,000 copies and distribute them to libraries. I think the UK government should do the same.

So long as a new Norwegian book passes quality control, Arts Council Norway purchases 1,000 copies of it to distribute to libraries—or 1,550 copies if it’s a children’s book.

The New REPUBLIC, The Norwegian Government Keeps Book Publishers Alive

Book publishing is a UK success story. So says Author Buzz’s Matthew Brown. We already export more books than anyone else (for now). An ongoing public investment in publishing and libraries could boost our industry to world dominating heights.

A thousand copies of all books of a particular standard would grant our libraries a significantly enhanced stock. It would also encourage our best writers and permit them all to work full-time on writing. More books by beloved writers (other than just the best sellers) can only be good.

The government should buy UK books in bulk for libraries. Do you agree?