FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
| QUESTION | ANSWER | RESOURCES |
| What should I do if someone removes and damages a book from the collection before me? | Remain calm and remind them of the acceptable behaviour policy and rules of the library.
Seek backup. Potential trespass notice |
Read through the Check your processes section of the toolkit.
Have the Key messages from the toolkit on hand to assist you in these situations. |
| How do I make sure challenged titles aren’t removed or stolen? | Consider purchasing e-books which can’t be stolen or removed from access.
Keep lists of challenged books and check availability - restock if needed. |
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| What should I say if someone says a book shouldn’t be in the library? | Explain that libraries provide a range of content to meet the diverse interests of all the communities they serve.
Refer them to your collection development policy. If they are still unhappy, inform them about your book review process. |
Read through the Check your processes section of the toolkit.
Have the Key messages from the toolkit on hand to assist you in these situations. |
| What should we do if lobby groups swamp our catalogue review service in favour of or against a title? | Review how you moderate this service. (Technical, process and policy). | |
| What is the difference between misinformation and disinformation? | Disinformation is false or misleading information created or shared with the intent to cause harm. Misinformation is false information that is spread because a person believes it to be true, usually without intent to harm. | These definitions are taken from The Disinformation Project: Defining disinformation |
| Are there any banned books in New Zealand? | Yes. Te Mana Whakaatu Classification Office manages all restrictions, including items deemed objectionable and banned. | The Office website includes a registry of restrictions and information on what leads to a restriction: NZ Register of Classification Decisions |
| Do libraries have to apply restrictions applied by Te Mana Whakaatu? | Yes, these apply to everyone in New Zealand, including libraries, and penalties apply for non-compliance.
Libraries must manage restricted resources to ensure underage people cannot access them. |
Te Mana Whakaatu has an info guide for librarians on this: What to do about restricted and banned items |
| Do I need to agree to include anything in the library collection that a user asks for? | No. You have a limited budget and space on your shelves and have the right to determine the best selection according to your collection policy. | Read the Update your policies section of the toolkit. |
| What if a patron asks to get a restricted book out for someone else that their card is linked to? | Frontline staff should ensure they follow legislation that dictates age restrictions around certain items. Items should not be given to patrons who are underage for a given restriction. | |
| What if I, as a staff member, have an issue with an item in the collection? | Staff members are also welcome to follow the same process as patrons and follow the complaints process that a library has.
IFLA’s Code of Ethics for Librarians and Other Information Workers advises that “Librarians….are strictly committed to neutrality and unbiased stance regarding collection, access and service. Neutrality results in the most balanced collection and the most balanced access to information achievable. Librarians….distinguish between their personal convictions and professional duties.” |
IFLA Code of Ethics for Librarians and Other Information Workers |
| How can we justify having books in the library about how to make bombs? | The Film, Video and Publications Classification Act 1993 covers books on this topic.
Under the Act, a publication is objectionable if it describes, depicts, expresses, or otherwise deals with matters such as sex, horror, crime, cruelty, or violence in such a manner that the availability of the publication is likely to be injurious to the public good. Objectionable books are banned and would not be held by a library. |
Read the Legal framework section of the toolkit. |
| What do I do if someone asks for a restricted book and I’m not sure they are old enough to borrow it? | Your library should have a process in place for managing restricted items, which should be communicated to frontline staff. For example, you should confirm the requestor's age by requesting an I.D. to access the book. | Read the Update your policies section of the toolkit. |
| A patron who doesn’t understand English is asking about restricted items. How can I help them? | Te Mana Whakaatu has information about classification in PDF format in a variety of different languages | Classification information in other languages. |
| A patron has come up to the desk with a book and says they don’t think it should be on the shelf in the children’s section. Should I take the book off the shelf while someone looks into it? | You may choose to remove the book while you review the complaint and make a decision, or you may choose to leave it on the shelf while that process is underway, to ensure patrons have the freedom to access that information. It may depend on the nature of the content or the nature of the complaint. Check if your library has a process for this situation. Whichever decision you make, ensure you can back yourself up by referring to process, policy or speaking to a manager. | Read through the Check your processes section of the toolkit.
Have the Key messages from the toolkit on hand to assist you in these situations.
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| We have restricted books that we keep behind the desk, but I notice that on our e-resources platform, it doesn’t indicate it has a restriction. What can we do about that? | Speak to your colleague who manages the e-resources or e-books. It might be the case that you are bound to the conditions of the platform and are not able to make changes.
Platforms often have tools to create curated selections of titles, which you can use to create age-relevant selections for your users. |
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| Someone has come to the desk or called the library and asked if they can make a complaint about an item in the collection. What should I do? | Your library should have a process in place for managing complaints. This involves considering the complaint, making a decision, responding to the patron, and recording the complaint. If you aren’t sure what to do, speak to your manager and find out.
If your library doesn’t have a process, it’s time to create one! |
Read through the Check your processes section of the toolkit. |
| How do I discover why an item was restricted? | You can search the NZ Register of Classification Decisions; it has information about the process. | NZ Register of Classification Decisions |