The local library has gone GC

[Prydddan]

I went to my local library today for the first time in a year.

They have about half a dozen stands where they showcase certain books, authors, themes etc. at different times of the year.

The first, right by the entrance, was (I noticed, almost incidentally) full of books by women. The next, the same. Three more, ditto. No banners or posters announcing that there was a World Day or some such occasion to merit such a bias.

In the corner was a stand with colourful banners and posters, given over to LGBT Pride.

I can't help feeling the staff were making a point.

Brilliant. Hopefully more will catch on!

Interesting. Thanks

I was a library volunteer for years.i hid 'woke' books I didn't like..actually , I did the same with Nadine Norries' novels. Go into your library and ask them to get GC books ( give them authors and titles, obvs). Most lib vols are elderly ladies; they'll be on your side!
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You hid books you didn't agree with?

Wow.

Yeah, some books absolutely should be buried.

#nodebate isn't just for TRAs then I guess.

Good for you. If a borrower wants to borrow them they are available in the library catalogue and can be ordered. So it is not #nodebate. You carry on with your act of protest and I'll carry on with mine.

Fuck that. Nothing should be undebatable. I would have taken the book out and written notes in the margin giving the other side.
I do hide Nestlé products still though.

I don't really understand this. 1) A lot of books are by women 2) How do you know the authors were biological women? 3) If they were by lesbians would you want them in the random women authors display or in the LGBTQ display? 4) In what way were the books gender critical - were they non-fiction or fiction? 5) Public libraries should not censor books but should have balanced collections.

It's nearly International Women's Day.

It may be possible to order them, but not to check them out as long as they're filed under a wrong call number..

@StarlightLime

Yeah, some books absolutely should be buried.

My best friend as a teenager came from a highly religious family. So much so, that her mother would regularly burn piles of novels in front of us that she deemed sinful or satanic. (These could be anything sci-fi, fantasy, horror, gothic, or remotely romantic.) Is what you're suggesting different? I think not.

Spectacularly missing the point.

The library staff went out of their way to ensure that the stands in question were filled with books that had names associated with human females. I am sure the librarians are aware than authors may use pseudonyms, so may be male; and I doubt that they were able to ascertain (or even cared) whether any of them were lesbian.

If there had been no LGBT stand, I might have read this as a feminist act; in juxtaposition with the LGBT stand, it looks feminist and GC.

Nope.

Well it won't be the only copy in the country.

I don’t agree with hiding books. If books are so truly terrible let people read them and make their own conclusions. Look at the outrage over Waterstones not stocking Helen Joyce’s book or the furore over Calderdale Council’s libraries hiding GC books in case they make people feel unsafe. No. I believe in letting these people speak. Let people read Juno Dawson or Shon Faye. Let people read Judith Butler if they can