This piece highlights a recurring pattern: attempts to suppress LGBTQ+ books often increase their popularity. Historical examples include Wichita Falls, Texas, where two childrenâs books about same-sex parents saw dramatic spikes in checkouts after being targeted.Â
“In this study, we use a novel, large-scale data set of U.S. library book circulations and evaluate the impact of high-profile book bans on the consumption of banned books. Using a staggered difference-in-differences design, we find that the circulations of banned books increased by 12%, on average, compared with comparable nonbanned titles after the ban. We also find that banning a book in a state leads to increased circulation in states without bans. We show that the increase in consumption is driven by books from lesser-known authors, suggesting that new and unknown authors stand to gain from the increasing consumer support.”
