By Pam Bloom

I’m a reader. When I worked at the library, I learned that patrons often fell into two broad categories. They entered the library knowing what they wanted, often equipped with lists, or they were browsers and delighted in the discovery of something interesting. I’m a browser. I still find magic in the idea of open books, open minds whether heading to the library or to the online news of the day. Even when looking at the forever “breaking news,” I often prefer to begin with the narrative, reading an interesting opinion before branching out to verify the factual accuracy. I find it interesting and thought provoking to learn how folks respond to the same news in different ways.  

I guess it’s ingrained. I don’t know how to live a life that isn’t grounded in opinion and questioning others’ thoughts and actions. It doesn’t occur to me to filter my opinion as long as I have knowledge to back it up. I was raised to be naturally curious, to not be afraid to hold an opinion, to question others or to back down and admit when proven wrong. 

That apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Even the four-year-old grand knows to be prepared to articulate reasons for her opinions, even in small ways. She very carefully avoids the words, “I don’t like…” turning her dislike of whatever it is at the moment into, “I really don’t love…” because that change of wording opens up a conversation. I doubt that any of us Everhardt Blooms were ever described as compliant by our teachers. I come from family and married family who always asked “why” and expected answers to be the normal part of a conversation. 

My older granddaughter, now a high schooler, has been critiquing my statements for accuracy since she was in elementary school. We talk about everything and it is just expected that you have an opinion to share. At one point around age 10, this grandchild questioned one of my statements and proceeded to ask questions to illustrate why my opinion was ambiguous, even though that word may not have been part of her vocabulary at the time. Deservingly chastised, I asked, “Do you and your dad (my son) often have these kinds of discussions?” “Yes,” she replied. “It’s often quite tedious.” The seeds you sow…  

Fast forward to our current political situation and what I see as an American obligation to be a good citizen. Maybe it was the entire collection from the teal biographies that I read in elementary school that contributed to my American chutzpah. Maybe it was my beloved mysteries and novels. Or the simple fact that as a child I had the world at my fingertips as I read book after book after book. In the ’60s, labels were pretty simple — fiction and nonfiction. In spite of those limitations, I was exposed to DEI — diversity, equity and inclusion — and am an informed and better citizen of my beloved United States. I might have described my reading as a path to understanding the Dignity of others unlike me, a primer in Empathy for situations I would never experience except for books, and the Intelligence to recognize my ignorance. 

So now we’ve arrived at the crux of my reason for sharing my opinion. Has history ever shown that it is good to eliminate books because someone disliked the ideas contained in those books or disagreed with the viewpoints conveyed in the books? There are many examples. Thanks to the “Diary of Anne Frank,” my mind immediately returns to how eliminating books preceded eliminating people who didn’t make the government cut. 

Newsworthy and food for consideration — This past week the Naval Academy withdrew books — “the Navy said officials went through the Nimitz Library catalog, using keyword searches, to identify books that required further review. About 900 books were identified in the search. Departmental officials then closely examined the preliminary list to determine which books required removal,” said Cmdr. Tim Hawkins, Navy spokesman. “Nearly 400 books were removed from Nimitz Library to comply with directives outlined in executive orders issued by the president.”  AP, 4/4/25

Book banning and whitewashing history never seem to turn out well as we look to the seeds of authoritarianism. In my opinion, I think we’re there or rapidly approaching a major change in our government. And I’m expressing my opinion as guaranteed under the United States constitution. 

Who will protect the books? I am not a scholar of James Baldwin, however his words, like many authors who can draw you into a story with the best of intentions and in an effort to grow good citizens.

“I love America more than any other country in the world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually,” — James Baldwin.

Back to what you choose to read and how those books affect your thoughts and your actions and a leap into how they affect us today. What if you’re a browser in the library? What if you never read some important books because you never knew they existed and they were no longer there to be found? Have this conversation with others as you support and celebrate libraries and our first amendment. After all, we are still a democratic republic. 

Here’s a link to the removed books. https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/Press-Releases/display-pressreleases/Article/4146516/list-of-books-removed-from-usna-library/

“Dear Neighbor” authors are united in a belief that civility and passion can coexist. We believe curiosity and conversation make us a better community.