Libricide

I am sure you will not be surprised to hear that a librarian does not approve of burning books. When I first heard about the planned burning of the Quran, I thought of the Nazi's and their infamous book burnings. Really, is that the sort of group you wish to be associated with? I was curious as to what other book burnings had occurred throughout history. The Canadian web site Freedom to read has an interesting list of burnings and bannings. Even Harry Potter books have been tossed on the pile to burn.

My curiosity on the matter led me to some interesting new words which I hope I will never have cause to use. 

Libricide and biblioclasm mean the destruction of books, often in a ceremonial fashion.

I will let Helen Keller have the last word on the issue.

"History has taught you nothing if you think you can kill ideas. Tyrants have tried to do that often before, and the ideas have risen up in their might and destroyed them. You can burn my books and the books of the best minds in Europe, but the ideas in them have seeped through a million channels and will continue to quicken other minds." 

Banned Book Week begins September 25th. Feel free to come in and read our Quran anytime.