Public libraries stock more books by trans activists than gender-critical writers, though research shows that the campaigners’ books are less popular.
A study of nearly 50 local authorities’ libraries with online catalogues found that two thirds offered more books supporting trans rights views than those arguing that women must be born female and binary sex cannot be changed.
Research by the Free Speech Union found that 49 public libraries had 446 copies of trans activists’ books, such as The Transgender Issue by Shon Faye. There were only 274 copies, however, of gender-critical books, such as Material Girls by Kathleen Stock.
Borrowing data showed 43 per cent of the gender-critical works were on loan compared with 20 per cent of the trans activists’ publications.
Toby Young, the union’s general secretary, said the study suggested that libraries’ stocks of gender-critical books were not matching public demand. He accused librarians of “censoring books”.
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The research, published in The Sunday Telegraph, found two councils, Enfield and Wigan, held no gender-critical works.
The survey covered 14 city councils, such as Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, and Nottingham, 15 boroughs of London and some large county councils. All bar one of the 15 London councils examined stocked more trans-activist than gender-critical books.
The union said there was a “clear bias” in England’s local authority libraries in favour of trans rights books. It added that the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP), librarians’ professional body, had been taken over by “critical social justice ideology” and Book 28, a London activist group.
“Like many of our institutions, these public libraries are losing sight of their original purpose — which was to serve the public in a politically neutral way — and embracing an ideology imported from the United States which prompts them to come down on one side of current political debates,” the union said.
In response, the institute referred to its national guidance on inclusive library services. This states: “A library … is a place in which people can discover themselves and learn about the world around them. It is a place in which complex, sometimes conflicting ideas can be held up for scrutiny. It is a place of dialogue and respect, tolerance and inclusion. It is a place in which cultures can meet and be reconciled.”
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Nick Poole, CILIP chief executive, said these principles guided and defined public libraries. “We believe it is important that they are not misrepresented,” he added.
“The institute does not ‘run’ public library services. Any adherence to this guidance is voluntary on the part of library authorities.”
Denise Jones, the strategic manager of Liverpool Libraries, dismissed the study. “Judging library selection policies by looking at catalogues is lazy and inaccurate,” she said. “There isn’t a cabal of ‘librarians’ choosing books. We can only buy what’s available.”
Book 28 did not respond to a request to comment.
