In two previous posts (here and here) I’ve discussed the situation at B&N, where corporate policy apparently mandates shelving books by Meyer under “Christian Inspiration,” while putting Richard Dawkins’s The God Delusion under Science. I’ve since had confirming reports from B&N customers as far afield as Durham, North Carolina; Pittsford, New York; and Silverdale, Washington.

Is there a 12-step program for compulsive re-shelving of pro-intelligent design books at your local Barnes & Noble? Taking a cue from reader Lee, who filmed his re-shelving of Signature in the Cell, reader Donna writes in to say she can’t resist:

Your ENV posting about the Barnes & Noble situation and [Lee’s] video strikes a chord with me! I have re-shelved [Dr. Meyer’s] books myself quite a few times — maybe ill-advised but I can’t help myself. Wherever evolutionary books were shelved I would stick [his] book in alphabetical order.

Donna’s confession pulls on the heartstrings. She also points out that B&N isn’t alone: “I want you to look at this. The huge Powell’s Bookstore in Portland, Oregon, has a section under Christianity called Creationism,” and that’s where they sequester all their books that are favorable to ID. “How would anyone interested in intelligent design find them?”

Donna wants to know what I’m going to do about the situation at Powell’s. I don’t know, but one thing I’m not going to do is race down there and start rearranging books on the shelves.

Reader Bill says “Here’s my two cents” and sends along his comment published back in June (!) under a post at our friendly competitor Uncommon Descent.

If you really want to know what today’s science-minded public reads, you need to look at the “Christianity” section of Barnes & Noble. That’s where I found Darwin’s Doubt last year, even though its dust jacket clearly states “SCIENCE/LIFE SCIENCE/EVOLUTION.”

But nowhere in the index of Darwin’s Doubt can you find “Christianity,” “Christ,” “Jesus,” or even “religion.” You can find “God” in the index under [Dawkins’s] The God Delusion and [Christopher Hitchens’s] God is Not Great, which of course are books you will only find in the science section.

Two comments below, there’s this from another reader, Upright Biped, admitting to serial re-shelving:

For several days after [Dr. Meyer’s] Signature in the Cell came out, I stopped by a local Barnes & Noble on my way home, and moved the copies of the book out of the religious section back into the science section.

It is what it is.

It is indeed what it is — who could argue? But while understandable, nobody should be moving copies of Stephen Meyer’s books around the shelves at your favorite bookstore. I’m sure this is not a widespread thing, but just to be clear: Such decisions are the merchant’s sole prerogative, while ours is to complain to the management, or shop elsewhere.

Image source: Michael Dunn/Flickr.

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