NATIONAL LIBRARY OF NEW ZEALAND CULLS 600,000 BOOKS: DOES THIS DECISION CONSTITUTE CULTURAL VANDALISM?

We have observed with growing consternation as the huge public opprobrium regarding the removal of 600,000 books from the National Library has been ignored and an even worse travesty has occurred which is the Library’s decision to hand over the books to an online firm described as “internet pirates”. ‘A press release was sent out by the Library on July 13. It was headlined, “National Library signs historic agreement with Internet Archive.” Internet Archive is based in San Francisco and currently the subject of a major international lawsuit, accused of piracy.

Steve Braunias, https://www.newsroom.co.nz/the-national-library-loses-the-plot-again

Friends of the Earth Director, PEN NZ member and Cultural Icons Patron, Denys Trussell has sent the following letter to the Minister of Internal Affairs which provides a detailed and eloquent outline of the process, issues and implications of this decision.

Friends of the Earth Letter To Jan Tinetti  (click here to read letter)