Interim Restriction Order - Into the River

Forthwith a bit of an update relating to the Interim Restriction Order placed on Ted Dawe's novel Into the River:

• I have spoken with a staff member from the DIA Censorship Compliance Unit this morning. Their role is to ensure, after the Review Board decision, that the parties affected by this interim measure are aware of the decision and understand what they're required to do in order to adhere to the restrictions, viz:
• Remove any copies of Into the river from your shelves, if you haven't already and put them somewhere inaccessible. The book must not be able to be distributed i.e. not for loan, not for display, not to be read aloud etc
  
• It is not necessary to remove your catalog record, but you may wish to append a note as to the reason for it's being unavailable at present
• I raised with DIA our concern over the process for ensuring that Review Board decisions are widely publicised. In this instance, the onus is on the applicant (i.e. Family First) to do this, according to the details of the interim Restriction Order, viz:

"Pursuant to section 50(2) I direct that Family First must advertise the making of this Order in a daily newspaper published in each of the following cities: Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. It must serve notice of the making of this Order on all those persons who made submissions to the Classification Office in respect of the reconsideration of Into the River."

I haven't been able to confirm whether or not this was done, but it seems to me to be a not very satisfactory way of getting the word out, and this is something SLANZA may take up with the Censorship Compliance Unit or through the Film and Literature Review Board.

My understanding is that the FLRB will meet in October, and at that point some further action will happen - it may be though that no decision is made but perhaps another review process begun... we shall see.

If you'd like to listen to the audio of Radio NZ this morning, this is the link to Morning Report:
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/201769721/school-libraries-association-defends-banned-book

And here for Nine to Noon:
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/201769748/row-over-banned-book

And there may be further, related, news in the next day or so with more discussion about issues relating to school libraries' selection and handling of titles such as Into the River.

Can I offer my thanks at this point to all those who have offered opinions and examples of their own experience with Into the River, and issues of censorship in general. It is all grist to the mill for this very important discussion. So while it's not always comfortable to have these sorts of conversations, I do believe it is so useful for us to offer and listen to different viewpoints, and to understand these big issues that affect our ability to work as library professionals.

Miriam Tuohy
President

Updated to add follow-up item on Morning Report 9 Sept 2015
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/201769893/school-librarians-in-uproar-over-banned-book