Survey Findings: The Impact of COVID-19 on Reading in Canada, Part 2

From BookNet Canada:

Of the readers we surveyed, 58% are reading more, 39% are reading the same amount as before, and 4% are reading less. Though 17% are participating in fewer virtual book clubs or reading groups than before.

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Where are readers getting their books now? Most of them are using online retailers or apps (43%). After that, popular places include free internet sites (32%), from other people (28%), and the digital catalog of their public library (28%). Two in ten Canadian readers are getting books from a physical bookstore through in-store/curbside pickup or delivery. The majority of people are buying or borrowing from the same places they used before. Readers are also diving into their to-read piles: picking up the books they already owned but hadn’t gotten around to reading yet.

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Physical distancing means more time at home, but does it necessarily mean more time to read? Of the heavy readers, 59% report that they’re reading about the same amount and 38% said they’re reading more. Of the 58% of all readers who said they’re reading more, most are women between 25-34 years old. Of those who are reading less, most are men 45-64 years old.

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