From The New York Times:

In another sign that literary criticism is losing its profile in newspapers, The Washington Post has decided to shutter the print version of Book World, its Sunday stand-alone book review section, and shift reviews to space inside two other sections of the paper.

The last issue of Book World will appear in its tabloid print version on Feb. 15 but will continue to be published online as a distinct entity. The Post said in a statement Wednesday that in the printed newspaper Sunday book content will be split between Outlook, the commentary section, and Style & Arts. Book World will occasionally appear as a stand-alone print section oriented around special themes like summer reading or children’s books.

I can’t say that I lament this loss as much as some other book lovers do. Newspaper book review sections, no matter how highbrow and prestigious they are or were, simply cannot cover the breadth and scope of the book world today. It was always great to get a review in one of them, but so many worthy books were left out. The smart and active book community online is only just starting to make up for that, but clearly online is the future.

And that’s just fine.