The problem with this fable is twofold. First, in this age where any text, from the vile to the sublime, is no more than a mouse click away, the notion that an idea can be effectively suppressed by simply removing a copy of a book is laughably absurd. Second, in this age where Information Scientists are destroying books faster than any fascist regime of the past, posing as protectors of print is the pinnacle of perfidy.
A red herring is something that distracts from an important issue, and Banned Book Week smells very much like smoked Boston scrod to the staff at True Archives. The real threat to reading comes from libraries themselves, which are transitioning from book warehouses to community centers, internet cafes, and petting zoos. Of course the Biblioposer will embrace the book when it suits his purpose; the Devil quotes scripture in a similar fashion. However, one cannot jettison print while simultaneously assuming the role of its preserver. Once again we opine that the place for books is in the archive, not the “library.” Once within the protected confines of the archive, the codex will never be “banned” by the systematic disposal it currently suffers under the custodial care of the Information Scientists.
