@BookNet_Canada shares insights into buying and borrowing of Psychology titles during the first quarter of 2023.
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Welcome back!

In this instalment of our Subject spotlight blog series, with the help of our SalesData and LibraryData services, we’ll share insights into the buying and borrowing of the Psychology BISAC subcategory during the first quarter of 2023 — from January to March.

Buying Psychology

Overall, as shown in the graph below, the sales of Psychology titles were higher during the first quarter of 2022 compared to 2023, with year-over-year sales dropping by 22% in January, 36% in February, and 46% in March.

That being said, in 2022 sales decreased by 22% from January to March. This is also true for 2023 where sales from January to March decreased by 46%.

In 2023, sales decreased by 43% from January to February and dropped an additional 5% by March.

In 2022, sales decreased by 30% from January to February and increased by 12% from February to March.

Line graph comparing book sales between January, February, and March 2022 and 2023 in the Non-Fiction / Psychology BISAC category.

These are the BISAC subcategories with the highest year-over-year increase in sales:

Non-Fiction / Psychology / Emotions — up 33%;
Non-Fiction / Psychology / Psychopathology — up 25%; and
Non-Fiction / Psychology / General — up 6%.

From January to March, the most purchased Non-Fiction / Psychology subcategories were:

Non-Fiction / Psychology / Psychopathology — 40% of all Non-Fiction / Psychology sales;
Non-Fiction / Psychology / Applied Psychology — 14% of all Non-Fiction / Psychology sales; and
Non-Fiction / Psychology / Social Psychology — 10% of all Non-Fiction / Psychology sales.

Borrowing Psychology

When it comes to library circulation, the first quarter of 2023 outperformed 2022.

As shown in the graph below, year-over-year loans increased by 73% in January, 89% in February, and 80% in March. Overall, the loans of Psychology titles saw an increase of 28% in the first quarter of 2023. A similar increase to the growth this subject saw from January to March 2022 (23%).

Following the same trend, year-over-year renewals saw an increase of 97% in January, 104% in February, and 107% in March. In the first quarter of 2023, the renewals of Psychology increased by 44%. In 2022, the increase in renewals for this quarter was 37%.

Line graph comparing book loans and renewals between January, February, and March 2022 and 2023 in the Non-Fiction / Psychology BISAC category.

Which Psychology BISAC subcategories were the most popular in Canadian libraries? From January to March 2023, these subcategories saw the greatest increases in library circulation compared to 2022:

Non-Fiction / Psychology / Education & Training — loans up 625% and renewals up 283%;
Non-Fiction / Psychology / Essays — loans up 367% and renewals up 1,600%; and
Non-Fiction / Psychology / Statistics — loans up 150% and renewals up 800%.

During the first quarter of 2023, the most circulated Psychology subcategories were:

Non-Fiction / Psychology / Psychopathology — 24% of all Non-Fiction / Psychology loans and 18% of all Non-Fiction / Psychology renewals;
Non-Fiction / Psychology / Social Psychology — 10% of all Non-Fiction / Psychology loans and 10% of all Non-Fiction / Psychology renewals; and
Non-Fiction / Psychology / General — 9% of all Non-Fiction / Psychology loans and 10% of all Non-Fiction / Psychology renewals.