Libri: We have no intention of removing any books from our stock

"Libri has no plans to change its product range and has no intention of removing books from its stores or online offer," Libri commented on Thursday afternoon in response to an article published by Telex in the morning.

In our article, we wrote that we had obtained a list indicating that Libri had assessed which of its bookstores would no longer have publications with LGBTQ+-related content on offer at all, due to the so-called "child protection law", which is riddled with anti-gay paragraphs. These would likely be bookstores located within 200 metres of a school or church.

We did contact Libri – whose majority shares were recently acquired by the pro-government elitist education center, MCC – about the list before the publication of our article, but we did not receive a substantive response to our specific questions. Instead, after our article appeared, we received a statement saying that the company had no plans to change its selection.

"Libri's mission, and the key to its business success, is to make written culture widely available to the reading public," they stated, adding that "the Libri Group – similarly to other actors in the book market – operates as a responsible company, in compliance with the law and legislations".

However, the company did not deny the existence of the list in its letter, nor did it comment on why it was made.

The statement pointed out that book distributors (including Libri) are awaiting further guidance, as several requests for the clarification of the legislation had been raised. The company writes that the law is aimed at protecting children, "so the question of compliance with the present law only arises in relation to works of young adult and children's literature". At the very least, however, it is questionable whether this is the case, as the law has also led to amendments to the government decree on the conditions for carrying out commercial activities, which now reads as follows:

“No product portraying a deviation from the identity of one's gender at birth, gender change, or self-serving sexual content, as well as products depicting or promoting homosexuality may be distributed within 200 metres of an entrance to an educational institution, child and youth protection institution, church or other place of worship.”

The text of the decree does not specify that this requirement applies only to "works of young adult and children's literature".