The Literature of Conservatism Available to Purchase

The second article of the “Library Bill of Rights” proclaims: “Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.” Keeping this article in mind, have librarians always adhered to it? Cal Thomas, vice president of the Moral Majority, does not think so. In Book Burning (1982), he accuses the liberal establishment of censoring the writings of conservatives. For too long, conservatives have been branded as the arch banners when, in fact, they have faced prohibitive treatment from liberals. Thomas insists that some liberal publishing houses do not want to bring out a work espousing conservative ideals no matter how well‐written it is. Liberal extremist groups pressure publishing houses to reject their manuscripts. Liberal critics dismiss their books in a few sentences or do not review them at all. The large bookstore chains fail to stock their books, therefore depriving the reading public of exposure to them. And Thomas' final regret is that librarians turn a cold shoulder to books by conservatives, excluding them from their collections and, more importantly, from the judgment of history.