Withdrawal of Books from National Library

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for Communications and Information (a) what are the lessons learnt from the recent episode on the withdrawal of books from the National Library; (b) what steps will be taken to strengthen the National Library's review process for children's books; and (c) how will the National Library ensure that future NLB events will not be disrupted by last-minute boycotts by competition judges or speakers.

The National Library Board (NLB) has always aimed to provide wide access to information, ideas and a variety of materials to promote reading, learning and information literacy. As with libraries all over the world, the work also involves the process of withdrawing books from collections from time to time. As recent events have shown, such work is not easy as values and opinions can differ greatly. Learning from this experience, NLB will improve its review processes and its sensing of the needs of its patrons.

One significant step to be taken from the lessons learnt will be the appointment of an advisory panel to review recommendations for the withdrawal of books. Broadly speaking, this panel would be a diverse one and should be from a cross-section of society representing different groups, including members from the literary community. It would advise NLB on recommendations pertaining to withdrawal of books. This panel would provide NLB a good sense of what the community is comfortable with.

NLB will continue organising events for the community that would involve partners in the literary community. NLB is committed to working closely with these partners, and will continue to engage them for future cooperation. If events need to be cancelled, NLB will strive to minimise any impact to participants.