Last week rumors flew (and were denied) that the Washington Post could close its Book World section in the near future.

Nevertheless, the National Book Critics Circle has created an online petition "to save the book world." The NBCC invited authors who have written for the WaPo books section to sign the petition. Signatures must be received before the petition closes on Friday, January 23.

Here's an excerpt: "With the newspaper business facing hard times, too many papers have already shuttered their book reviews. Only two stand-alone sections remain. To hard-pressed editors and publishers, these sections may seem peripheral to their papers' mission. But the robust discussion of books is vital to a good society."