Physical book sales and independent bookstores have grown substantially (sales +≈25% decade‑on‑decade; indie stores +70% since 2020) even as reading formats diversify into e‑books and audiobooks. Educational assessment (NAEP) and Pew survey data show mixed changes in proficiency and habits, meaning supply, demand, and literacy trends are decoupling rather than uniformly declining.
— If true, this reframes debates about a 'post‑literate' society, shifts policy attention from panic to format‑aware literacy support, and matters for publishers, local economies, and education policy.
Isegoria
2026.11.04
100% relevant
The article’s concrete figures — “sales of print books have increased nearly twenty‑five per cent from a decade ago” and a 70% rise in independent bookstores since 2020 — exemplify the phenomenon.
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