National Library of Scotland censors The Women Who Wouldn't Wheesht

[OhBuggerandArse]

Took it out of their centenary exhibition because the staff LGBT+ network kicked up a fuss. Craven. This really needs massive public challenge and push back - if the National Library isn't able to fend off the censors we are utterly lost. https://x.com/EthelWrites/status/1955390550494023958

Anyway, back to the NLS: they've instigated an investigation using an external body, apparently. Curious to know who that body is.

'Due to the complexity and volume of complaints on the earlier decision not to include the book ‘The Women Who Wouldn't Wheesht’ in the Library’s ‘Dear Library’ exhibition, we have outsourced the stage two investigation to an independent external party.

As it is an independent investigation by an external investigator, we have little control over the timescale of that process but, at this stage, we do know we will not be able to provide a response to your complaint within our original aim of 20 working days. We believe the investigation will be concluded by Friday 26 September and aim to respond to you and all other complainants during week commencing Monday 29 September.'

Lucy Hunter Blackburn will be on Front Row on Radio 4 tonight talking about this - let them know they’ve made a good decision by inviting her on!

independent investigation by an external investigator, we have little control over the timescale of that process

Wot no agreed terms of reference ?

I got the same reply as @ArabellaScott and I wondered the same thing - who are these "independent" investigators? Whoever they are I wonder if they will take a good hard look at how these internal staff networks operate.

I got same reply today as well

Just listened to Front Row. Lucy Hunter Blackburn was great. But Maxine Peake before her was such a disappointment - comparing JK Rowling to Mary Whitehouse as if JK Rowling's views are because of some kind of moral panic. The irony in MP commenting on people like JK Rowling talking about things they don't understand, when it is MP who doesn't understand JK Rowling's views.

Below my email from the library

Good afternoon

We write with reference to your complaint regarding the book ‘The Women Who Wouldn't Wheesht’ not being included in the ‘Dear Library’ exhibition at the National Library of Scotland.

The Library has reflected on the decision and after a meeting between the book’s editors, Sir Drummond Bone (Chair of the Library Board) and Amina Shah (National Librarian) which took place on 3 September, we agreed to place the book in the exhibition and it went in on 5 September.

Due to the complexity and volume of complaints on the earlier decision not to include the book ‘The Women Who Wouldn't Wheesht’ in the Library’s ‘Dear Library’ exhibition, we have outsourced the stage two investigation to an independent external party.

As it is an independent investigation by an external investigator, we have little control over the timescale of that process but, at this stage, we do know we will not be able to provide a response to your complaint within our original aim of 20 working days. We believe the investigation will be concluded by Friday 26 September and aim to respond to you and all other complainants during week commencing Monday 29 September. We will of course come back to you sooner if possible.

We are sorry this is taking longer than we would like, but we believe it is important to allow the required time for a comprehensive review.

I was listening to Front Row too. I wasn't surprised by Maxine Peake's comments but thought Samira Ahmed dealt with the Women Won't Wheesh decision well - it's a rare pleasure to hear objective journalism these days and she covered arguments in favour of hurt feelings and free speech:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002j5r9

It was towards the end of the programme but I have had a glass of wine and it feels like too much to hunt for the precise timing! Sorry!

Lucy Hunter Blackburn was very very good, and yes, Samira Ahmed did a good interview.

Maxine Peake sounded stuttery and hesitant. Either she was doing her ironing at the same time as the interview or she wasn’t sure of herself. It was dreadful.

Whereas Lucy was calms and clear and politely en pointe.

I thought Maxine Peake's interview was interesting about Whitehouse. It sounds like a good play. But the jkr stuff made me laugh because she was so wrong - we have seen so many occasions of the actual modern mary Whitehouses trying to get all kinds of discussion and writing banned because they disagree with it on a moral level. They think they are metaphorically doing God's work. The national library of Scotland lbgt network were disgusted of Tunbridge Wells meets Mary Whitehouse with added support dogs.

Lucy was brilliant. A pluralist speaks. And the reference back to the JKR mention in the previous interview put it all in context.

Interview with Lucy Hunter Blackburn starts about 12 minutes in, lasts about six or seven minutes, and at the end very politely questions the Edinburgh Book Festival's decision-making too. Nice work.

Top work @AmaryllisNightAndDay!

I’m finding this beyond pathetic, they need to waste money on an ‘external investigator’ to investigate why they let a bunch of blue haired children bully them? What planet do they live on?

Lucy was brilliant on Front Row, calmly explaining the absurdity of this ridiculous situation.

No matter what result is obtained from the investigation they get plausible deniability on how they move forward

The NLS has been 'outed' as having censored a book [even the mealy-mouthed Index on Censorship said 'censorship'], we have a timeline and communications, there has been a lot of negative publicity, the NLS LGBT+ staff group have shown themselves to be bullies, management have shown themselves to lack courage and conviction, all sorts of people have been peaked and mobilised, the book is now in the exhibition, and its sales have increased.

What else will the investigator uncover?

its sales have increased

Own goal by the TRAs! 😂

Maybe her lack of conviction when saying it was down to the fact that she clearly hasn't been arsed to find out what JKR has actually said, but she knows that all the young, trendy types think JKR is a bigot, so it must be true.

Perhaps depends whether they share the FOIs with the investigator.

I just saw this article in the Times which briefly mentions the NLS issue:

"For example, on Thursday, it was proposed that Holyrood’s culture committee should examine the role of free speech at publicly funded organisations in Scotland, after a series of high-profile censorship rows over the summer.
These included the banning of a gender-critical book from a major exhibition at the National Library of Scotland — a decision that was later reversed after it attracted a backlash — and an apparent ban on Forbes speaking at a taxpayer-supported arts venue due to her views on culture war issues.
The proposal for a free speech inquiry, by the Tory MSP Stephen Kerr, would have required witnesses to be called to justify their positions and would probably have led to uncomfortable questions for the government.
However, it was voted down by SNP and Green MSPs, who instead backed a request from the SNP deputy leader Keith Brown to launch an inquiry into “the options for a legal mechanism for triggering any independence referendum”."

https://www.thetimes.com/article/bce38a72-6421-44ea-b1fa-5dca4b780610?shareToken=6559dd12fdbf0d218f461d45296c9c08

Email from NLS in response to my complaint:

"Good afternoon

We write with an update to your complaint regarding the book ‘The Women Who Wouldn't Wheesht’ not being included in the ‘Dear Library’ exhibition at the National Library of Scotland.

Our email of 8 September advised that the investigation is being carried out by an independent external investigator and that we expected to be able to communicate the result of that investigation during week commencing 29 September.

We are sorry to advise that we do not now expect to communicate with you and all complainants until week commencing Monday 13 October. We appreciate that this is taking longer than first indicated, but hope you understand that the independent investigator wishes to take all the time necessary to carry out comprehensive consideration of the complaint.

We will, of course, communicate before week commencing Monday 13 October if possible.

Please accept our apologies for this delay."

(edited for clarity)

Might be worth asking who the investigator is.

I've had another email informing me that there will be a delay. Obviously, "A big girl did it and ran away" isn't going to cut it so they must be straining to find some reasons for their decision...

We haven’t even had that.