By Jane Bradley

Copyright scotsman

A Holyrood committee has written to the National Library of Scotland to ask how it makes decisions in the wake of a row over a gender critical book being pulled from an exhibition. In a letter to Amina Shah, Scotland’s chief librarian, Clare Adamson, convenor of the Scottish Parliament’s Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee, said it was “not appropriate” for the committee to “get involved in operational matters”. However, she added the committee would “like to understand how you approach the task of reaching decisions in the context of different perspectives”. Book The Women Who Wouldn’t Wheesht, which included contributions from JK Rowling, former MP Joanna Cherry and MSP Ash Regan, was not put on show as part of the venue’s Dear Library exhibition after being deemed by the library’s staff LGBT network to have “significant risks to the library’s relationships with authors and other stakeholders” following the Supreme Court judgement over gender recognition. The book, which opposes former first minister Nicola Sturgeon’s gender self-ID law, was later reinstated into the exhibition. Ms Adamson wrote: “The Committee notes the recent media coverage of the National Library of Scotland’s handling of a book titled Women Who Wouldn’t Wheesht. We recognise that coverage has included perspectives both agreeing and disagreeing with the decisions made by the NLS. “We recognise that it is not appropriate for the Committee to get involved in operational matters. However in relation to the wider issues, we would like to understand how you approach the task of reaching decisions in the context of different perspectives.” On Wednesday, MSP Pam Gosal, who also contributed to the book, challenged culture minister Angus Robertson during portfolio questions in Holyrood over the issue. Ms Gosal asked: “Does the Cabinet secretary agree banning books by feminist authors give the wrong message to women wishing to work in the arts and culture sector?” Mr Robertson said: “It’s not the place of a Scottish Government cabinet secretary to micromanage the culture sector, which is why we have arms-length relations with our funding organisations and our funding organisations.” A spokeswoman for the National Library of Scotland said the organisation would respond to Ms Adamson’s letter once its investigation into the incident is complete.