Scotland’s national library has reversed a decision not to include a gender-critical anthology featuring more than 30 female writers including JK Rowling and a number of MPs in its centenary exhibition.

The Women Who Wouldn’t Wheesht charts the campaign against the Scottish government’s controversial gender recognition laws. It had been nominated by a number of members of the public to be part of the institution’s Dear Library exhibition.

In the wake of “polarising” debates over trans rights, and after concerns were raised by the library’s LGBT+ staff network, it said it had decided not to include the book in the exhibition although it did still have the text in its reading rooms.

After an outcry over that decision, however, the library has said it will now include it.

“Concerned about the effect of the polarising public discourse around the subject matter, the library made the curatorial decision not to include the book in this exhibition,” it said in a statement on Thursday. “The library has since been subject to scrutiny regarding the decision.”

The U-turn comes after talks on Wednesday between the national librarian, Amina Shah; the chair of the National Library of Scotland board, Drummond Bone; and the book’s editors, Susan Dalgety and Lucy Hunter Blackburn.

Shah and Bone apologised for not consulting the editors, the library said, adding that it had had further conversations with staff “and other exhibition stakeholders”.

Dalgety and Blackburn said: “On behalf of the women who contributed to the book, the people who nominated the book, and all our readers, we are delighted that The Women Who Wouldn’t Wheesht is now taking its rightful place in the Dear Library exhibition.

“We hope this is a turning point in public discourse in Scotland, particularly around sex and gender identity, but also other topics.

“We will not progress as a nation unless we are able to celebrate our pluralist society and discuss ideas and beliefs in a rational way.

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“Public institutions have a responsibility to show leadership in strengthening national debates and helping find constructive ways through areas of disagreement.”

The book is to be placed on the exhibition’s shelves by the end of the week. The library said it would work with its editors and other exhibition stakeholders to ensure its placement was “constructive and inclusive”.

Shah said: “We aspire to bring people together, and encourage respectful and constructive conversation. We will always be inclusive, and we will always welcome everyone to the library.”

More than 500 authors and book industry professionals have signed an open letter calling on Waterstones to reverse a decision to dismiss an employee who said she would tear up and throw away books written by a gender-critical author.

Figures including Chocolat author Joanne Harris, writer and podcaster Dorian Lynskey, and author and culture journalist Jason Okundaye have backed Tilly Fitzgerald, who posts book-related content and reviews under the username TillyLovesBooks on social media. Fitzgerald was sacked after responding to a post on X by author Christina Dalcher, which appeared to endorse a publishing network for those “concerned about the impact of gender ideology” on the sector. Fitzgerald wrote: “Ooh, I’ll enjoy tearing up your books and popping them in the bin today. Thanks for the heads up.”

Fitzgerald, who had worked for Waterstones as a bookseller since August 2023, explained in a video posted on 8 July that Waterstones had sacked her over her social media activity. “I’ve just been sacked from the only job I’ve ever loved,” she said.

“I told [Dalcher] on Twitter that I was going to throw away her books after I found out that she was a bigot”, Fitzgerald added. “She tagged Waterstones and they have decided to fire me for my social media usage. It’s the first mistake I’ve ever made, I’ve been nothing but an exemplary employee there”.

A spokesperson from Waterstones said Fitzgerald was dismissed “on the grounds of contravening Waterstones policies” and that the decision “has nothing to do with transgender rights”.

“We are an inclusive employer and follow due process in HR matters,” the spokesperson told the Guardian. “For obvious reasons we are unable to comment on the specifics of individual cases.”

Fitzgerald told the Guardian: “My intention responding to Dalcher was only to let her know that I would no longer be supporting her books in my personal capacity as a reviewer.”

The open letter, which was published by British comedy script writer Sara Gibbs, said that its signatories “feel it is an egregious error to terminate the employment of a dedicated, passionate and knowledgeable bookseller for expressing a personal opinion about an author and their work on their social media page.”

“We would like to express support and solidarity with Tilly, and to urge Waterstones to do the right thing and reinstate her,” the letter goes on to say.

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Dalcher, whose books include Vox and Femlandia, declined to comment.