[UPDATED 27 July 2014, 9am: The two previously banned titles will be back on shelves in the adult section on Tuesday.]

The two previously banned children's books which have caused uproar in Singapore will be back on library shelves, albeit in the adult section, on Tuesday, 29 July 2014.



The Straits Times reported that the National Library Board's (NLB) two "And Tango Makes Three" will be placed at the Tampines and Jurong regional libraries. Its only copy of "The White Swan Express" will head to Woodlands Regional Library.



NLB said, in response to queries from the Straits Times, that the books will be part of the social sciences collection in the adult section.









Recently, Singapore's Minister of Communications and Information Yaacob Ibrahim had instructed NLB to place the two children's books it earlier banned in the adult section instead of pulping them as initially planned.

In a Facebook post on Friday morning, in which he shared his responses to queries from the Straits Times, he reiterated, " We stand by NLB’s decision to remove the three books from the children’s section. As I said earlier, NLB has to decide what books should be made readily available to children, who are usually unsupervised, in the children’s section of our public libraries. NLB will continue to ensure that books in the children’s section are age-appropriate. We have a much wider range of books in the adult section of public libraries."

Earlier, local media reported the NLB's refusal to reinstate the three banned children's books it had taken off the shelves - two banned recently and one some time ago.



Instead, the three titles — "And Tango Makes Three", "The White Swan Express: A Story About Adoption", and "Who's In My Family: All About Our Families" — were to be destroyed.



Yaacob added, "Many objected to the idea that the books would be pulped after being withdrawn from circulation. I understand these reactions, which reflect a deep-seated respect in our culture for the written word. ‘Who’s in My Family’ had already been disposed of as the title had been reviewed earlier. But I have instructed NLB not to pulp the two other titles, but instead to place them in the adult section of the public libraries. I have also asked NLB to review the process by which they deal with such books.



"The decision on what books children can or cannot read remains with their parents. Parents who wish to borrow these books to read with their children will have the option to do so.



"



In line with NLB's own concerns



When news first broke, a media statement from NLB stated that the book "And Tango Makes Three" came in a few months ago, and that subsequent requests to take down the books were "in line with our own concerns".



"NLB’s collection development policy takes special care of our children’s collections to ensure they are age-appropriate. We take a cautious approach, particularly in books and materials for children. NLB’s understanding of family is consistent with that of the Ministry of Social and Family Development and the Ministry of Education," the statement read.



The announcement drew instant flak from netizens.



Transgender woman Leona Lo tweeted that she had contacted NLB personally. "I've e-mailed NLB to ask them to withdraw my books too —- they can pulp them if they want. Better to burn and die a dignified death," she posted.



Poet Alvin Pang also tweeted in protest of the announcement, saying: "What a senseless waste of taxpayer's money. At least offer them up for sale or donate them."

































NLB's press conference comes after two online petitions were launched calling on the agency to reinstate two children’s books, which had been removed at the behest of a member of the public.

Earlier this month, Teo Kai Loon had e-mailed the NLB to voice his concerns over two children’s books, “And Tango Makes Three” and “The White Swan Express”.

“And Tango Makes Three” is a story of two male penguins who nurse and raise a young penguin together, and is based on the true story of two male penguins in a US zoo who successfully hatched a penguin egg. “The White Swan Express” is a book about children who are adopted by straight parents, gay parents, mixed race parents and a single mother.

In supposedly two days, NLB responded to Teo’s e-mail complaint, stating that the books have been withdrawn following his feedback. NLB emphasised that it “takes a strong pro-family stand in selecting books for children” and “when library visitors like yourself [Teo] highlight to us any conflicting content within books, we review such books thoroughly and withdraw them from circulation”.

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