A new study has uncovered a possible effect of recent library crackdowns: banned books become more popular in places where they are still on the shelves. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and George Mason University looked at library circulation data and found books that were yanked off shelves in some places saw a 12 percent increase in borrowing overall. “Our study highlights the pitfalls of politically motivated censorship on consumers’ consumption behavior,” study co-author Uttara M. Ananthakrishnan said in statement.
