More than half of Irish people used a public library in the last year, according to a survey carried out by the Carnegie UK Trust.
The survey, A New Chapter - public library services in the 21st century, is the first such analysis of public attitudes to libraries across the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
In Ireland, 1,000 adults aged 15 were included in the poll, carried out by Ipsos MORI on behalf of Carnegie.
More than three-quarters of those surveyed in Ireland said that libraries were "very important" or "essential" for communities, the highest figure in the five jurisdictions surveyed.
Some 46 per cent said public libraries were very important or essential to them personally. This figure was higher than both Northern Ireland (39 per cent) and Wales (38 per cent).
Use of public libraries was the lowest in Northern Ireland (40 per cent) while Scotland recorded the highest level of usage (61 per cent). Levels in England and Wales were 50 per cent and 45 per cent respectively.
More women in Ireland than men use libraries with those aged between 15 and 24 likely to be the most frequent users.
Irish people were the second most prolific readers in the five jurisdictions, with 56 per cent reading at least one book every six weeks. Only Scottish people read more.
The survey found that factors such as having children, being a prolific reader, living in an urban area and not working full-time made library use more likely.
Those working part-time, not working at all or retired were more likely to use library than those working full time. Retired people were above average – 53 per cent – users.
Improvements people would like to see in the library service in Ireland include providing better information on what services they offer, improving the range and quality of books, and being able to look for or reserve books online.