BookNet Canada Reports, “Majority of Canadian Readers Seek Out Diverse Books”

From BookNet Canada:

Three out of five actively seek out books about diverse topics/experiences or by underrepresented authors, according to a new survey from BookNet Canada

A new study from BookNet Canada, Demand for Diversity: A Survey of Canadian Readers, investigates whether Canadian readers want more diversity in the books and authors they read, and if so, if they are able to find what they are looking for in the book supply chain.

Analyzing responses from 500 English-speaking Canadian readers surveyed in late 2018, the report highlights readers’ experiences with, and interest in, reading books by and/or about those who are BIPOC, LGBTQ+, disabled or differently abled, and religious minorities.

Highlights of the study include the finding that 31% of Canadian readers believe they would read more if they were able to access more diverse books, and that 13% of underrepresented readers — i.e., readers who identified themselves as belonging to one or more of the above groups — “strongly agreed” that it is difficult to find diverse content in the book market. Other insights that can be found in the study include how readers are discovering and acquiring books, the diversity of the books they are currently reading, and lots more alongside direct quotations from Canadian readers on the importance of diverse books.

Direct to Full Text Study

Filed under: News, Reports