Neo-Censorship by the Numbers: A Quantitative Collection Analysis of Censored Databases in an Academic Library

In March of 2025, during legislative debates over an “anti-DEI bill,” the Mississippi Library Commission announced the removal of two complimentary index databases from state consortium offerings. In this study, the authors use the context of censorship in higher education to quantify this loss. Through assessing metrics of cost, collection overlap, discoverability, impact, and coverage, the authors analyzed the quantitative effect of this loss. The authors compiled a report and presented it to the university administration, who agreed that proceeding with reinstating access to these databases was both cost-effective and supportive of institutional missions.