The New Bibliophobia

Who's afraid of books? A small but outspoken minority.

Plus ça change. Engraving depicting a man burning books of which he doesn't approve, 19th century. (Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group)

Recent press coverage of the many ways in which books have recently come under assault, from outright bans to educational gag orders to actual burnings, may suggest that Americans are hopelessly reactionary. Or at least nostalgic for the Middle Ages.

An increasingly vocal chorus of agitated parents, eager to curate the shelves of classroom libraries, is especially concerned about the “pornographic” material that is ostensibly circulating in our public schools. Which raises the question: Who’s afraid of books? Turns out, not many.