PLENTY OF CHOICE: Canterbury's three prison libraries carry more than 20,000 items between them.

Canterbury prisoners are devouring library books at an increasing rate with romantic poetry, cooking and self-help books proving popular.

More than 57,500 books and magazines were issued to residents at Christchurch Men's Prison, Christchurch Women's Prison and Rolleston Prison last year.

Well-read titles across all three prison libraries included The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle and The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey.

Other popular items included Guinness World Records editions, Lee Child titles, yoga books, dictionaries, music biographies, true crime books and copies of New Zealand legislation.

National Geographic, NZ Trucking and Dish were hot items when it came to magazines.

Canterbury's three prison libraries carry more than 20,000 items between them.

The collection is enhanced by a relationship with Christchurch City Libraries, which supplies 40 to 50 specifically-requested items a month.

Prisoners in high-security units order items through a catalogue.

Nearly 800 prisoners borrowed 5000 books and magazines in November last year, which the Department of Corrections said was a 30 per cent increase on the same month five years ago.

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Prisoners keen on cooking, self-help books