a politician with the guts to stop a cultural scandal

Steve Braunias edits the Newsroom’s book section, ReadingRoom, is an author and featured writer for the NZ Herald.

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Steve Braunias Reports on National Library’s Plans to Drop Priceless Books at Lions Sale Next Weekend

A political lobby group has launched a last-minute offer to prevent the National Library from dumping 70,000 books at a Lions Club book sale that will ironically take place on Election Day, October 17.

The new lobbyist, Guardians of the Aotearoa Book [BGA], was established over the weekend with the specific intention of ending the National Library’s controversial decision to dispose of more than 625,000 books in its Foreign Published Collection.

Former Attorney General Chris Finlayson has pledged his support.

BGA Executive Member Christine Dann said: “Chris Finlayson is appalled by this new attack on the national collection, and is seeking an urgent meeting with the National Librarian and the Executive Director of the Department of Internal Affairs to discuss the inadvisability and possible illegality of the current rule, and advise that any further provision be stopped until the new government and incoming ministers have been duly informed about the matter. “

The library has already released about 60,000 titles. According to Dann, he is about to dispose of another 70,000 books next Monday, October 12, destined for the Kapiti Pakeke Lions Club book sale in Waikane.

Dann said: “They are planning to let go of another 70,000 on October 12. We suspect that many of them are destined for the Kapiti Lions giant book sale on October 17, and we have written to the Lions Club organizer to inform him of the steps that are being taken to establish the legality of the sacrifice and that we will keep the Lions informed of what happens. “

The BGA also sent a letter on Friday October 2 to Paul James (Executive Director of the Department of Home Affairs) and Bill Macnaught of the National Library requesting a meeting. Dann: “No answer yet.”

ReadingRoom solicited comments from New Zealand First’s Home Affairs Minister Tracey Martin.

She did not answer.

National art spokesperson Jonathan Young was also asked for a comment. He replied: “We are not impressed that the National Library wants to get rid of the books, despite increased digitization, and would ask them to refrain from removing more volumes from the national collection, as the National Party has not received an informing on this and considering that we are seeing major legacy issues here.

“I think it should be stopped immediately until after the election and then a full briefing is required. Possibly the National Librarian has misinterpreted the mood on this, just as much as Radio New Zealand misinterpreted the mood surrounding the cancellation of the election. Concert Program “.

Asked if he knew that 70,000 books, including Shakespeare, Cervantes, Marx, Mao Tse Tung, Primo Levi, Graham Greene, Virginia Woolf, etc., etc., were about to be sold at the Lions Club sale in Otaki. . He replied, “No, I am not aware of this at all.”

Now that he had found out about it, he was asked what he was going to do about it.

He did not answer.

Former Prime Minister Helen Clark is appalled by the sacrifice of the National Library. She wrote on Facebook: “The breakdown of the National Library of New Zealand’s international collection is deplorable. The minister has caused the destruction of a public collection. This is shocking. The National Library had a world-class international collection. The NZ First The minister in charge is allowing that collection to be systematically dismantled. All electoral candidates must be questioned about their positions on this matter. “

The National Library’s website lists the 70,000 books that will be discarded, or, in the staggering language of their version, “relocated,” on October 12. The books are:

• History and geography (includes many books on the Holocaust, such as the 1991 study Offended memory: the Auschwitz convent controversyand 36 books on apartheid, such as a 1965 edition of Nelson Mandela It is not easy to walk to freedom and 1999 Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission)

• Arts and recreation (His sports section includes extremely rare and significant football books, such as Hugh McIlvanney’s World Cup ’66, the classic 40 years in football by Ivan Sharpe, and a book by Manchester United great Duncan Edwards, published in 1958, the year he died in the Munich plane crash)

• Unclassified nonfiction (titles include the 1834 book The Anatomy of Drunkenness by Robert Macnish, who examines the phenomenon of spontaneous combustion, which at the time was thought to attack drunkards, 1906 book My dog by Maurice Maeterlinck, who offers a philosophical reflection on the nature of dogs and dog ownership caused by the death of his bulldog, and Führer’s speech at the Sportpalast in Berlin on January 30, 1940 by Adolf Hitler)

• Literature (includes a 1962 first edition of The golden notebook by Doris Lessing, a 1959 first edition of Goodbye colon by Philip Roth, 26 books by Iris Murdoch, 16 books by George Orwell and 37 books by Jane Austen)

The National Library website advises: “If you see a title that you think the National Library should keep and that complies with our Collections Policy, please let us know. We appreciate your comments and contributions to this great project.”

And in the next breath, he throws the books out the door: “We are looking for expressions of interest for the next phase of relocation of collections published abroad from libraries, government agencies and third-party organizations.” Lions Club book fairs, which sell books for $ 2, would appear to be classified as “third party organizations.”

The Lions Club Book Sale on October 17 will be held at the Waikanae Memorial Hall. “Book prices start at $ 2 each,” advises the event’s publicity. “Lions have never offered many books before.”