Cathy Kelly is getting us through the recession, according to the country's librarians. Demand for the chick-lit author's books have gone through the roof as readers try to escape the gloom.

A case in point is Limerick where Dell Ireland shed 1,900 workers in January.

"People are tired of all the depressing news," said Deirdre O'Dea of Limerick City Libraries. "They want some escapism. There's a big demand for books by authors like Cathy Kelly because fiction is increasingly popular."

Georgina Byrne of South Dublin County Libraries has also noticed Kelly's popularity.

"Before a romantic publisher like Mills & Boon might have been popular at a time like this but I think their day is probably gone. People are looking for something a little more sophisticated. Cathy Kelly is now very important."

Out is 'mizlit', or misery literature.

"By miz-lit we mean the miserable, awful childhood stuff," said Josephine Brady of Cavan County Libraries. "It used to be a massive area and huge in publishing as well, but since the recession kicked in, it has died completely. Now people are looking to escape the doom and gloom, they're borrowing chick-lit and thrillers and we're getting requests in for National Geographic magazine which people haven't asked for in years."

Other recession hits include books about cookery, DIY, and home extensions. Biggest of all are self-help books.

"I think we are all looking for something that helps us through a negative time," said Margaret Hayes of Dublin City Libraries. "For example we operate a bibliotherapy service in some of our libraries where, instead of prescribing a pill for someone with mild to moderate mental health issues, books they might find useful are suggested."

Librarians also say there has been a significant increase in memberships since the recession began.

"The library is the one place you can sit down without putting your hand in your pocket to buy a cup of coffee," said Pat McMahon of Galway City and County Library.