Lisa Peet at Library Journal writes about some disappointing new Harris poll results:

In 2011, 18 percent of adults surveyed answered yes to the question “Do you think that there are any books which should be banned completely?” In the most current study, published July 8, 28 percent answered the same question in the affirmative—a ten point increase—with 24 percent of those surveyed unsure. This means nearly half of those surveyed are still convinced that no books should ever be banned, but the implications of the findings still deserve attention. “While it’s still a minority perception…I felt that from 18 to 28 percent in just four years was rather surprising growth,” said Larry Shannon-Missal, managing editor at the Harris Poll.

According to the poll, Americans are more comfortable with banning books than they are with banning video games, movies, or television shows. I guess one upside is that this shows Americans still (correctly) understand that books are more influential than other forms of media?