I freely admit that I am addicted to books. Reading books and writing them are my passion. Which means, of course, that libraries are my favorite places on earth.

When I was young, they were my sanctuary when family life was strained. Books guided me, amused me, thrilled me, and kept me safe. And I am not alone with those feelings.

Libraries have been essential centers of learning, knowledge and civilization since we started counting time. They are storehouses of facts and information that we can all access.

There’s a reason why the Nazis systematically looted and burned libraries in their conquest of Europe in the lead-up and through World War II. In all, it is estimated that they destroyed over 100 million books, ancient and modern. If your aim is to impose ignorance and hate, then libraries are your enemy, right?

So now we come to the present administration in Washington, D.C. (No, I will not write or speak his name. I refer to him as “47.”) On March 14, 2025, he signed one of his favorite pieces of paper, an executive order, that called for the elimination of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the nation’s only federal agency for America’s libraries.

The Institute has (had?) a staff of 75 people.

We have over 125,000 public, academic, school, and special libraries in this country. They serve over 1.2 billion people annually. Would you like to know about some of the services they provide?

This list comes from the American Library Association:

• Early literacy development and grade-level reading programs
• Summer reading programs for kids 
• High-speed internet access
• Employment assistance for job seekers 
• Braille and talking books for people with visual impairments
• Homework and research resources for students and faculty
• Veterans’ telehealth spaces equipped with technology and staff support
• STEM programs, simulation equipment and training for workforce development
• Small business support for budding entrepreneurs

And most of those services are provided in non-urban areas.

I want you to think about this for a minute, and ask yourself: What is the purpose of imposing ignorance on the American people? What is 47 so afraid of? That we’re going to realize he is the “man behind the curtain?”

Because he is.

So let’s protect our libraries. Let’s create a network of actions small and large in order to preserve one of our most precious resources.

Here are some suggestions:

• Visit your local library and get a library card if you don’t have one.

• Have a topic you want to research like running for public office or the history of your town or how to cook risotto or play bridge? Talk to your librarians. They are an incredible source of information. Get to know them.

• Bring your children. Bring your friends. Bring all your family members–and make sure they have library cards.

• Make a point of visiting your library once a week just to keep watch. This is akin to poll watching during an election. You’re there just to make sure everything is okay. Besides, what could be better than spending an hour (or more) in your local library.

• If your library has a Friends organization, join it.

• If it doesn’t have a Friends group, form one of your own among other book lovers. This could be as simple as a telephone tree to alert one another about a book banning effort so that you can step in to support your library and librarians.

• Ask candidates for public office how they feel about libraries. Broadcast their answers.

• Run for public office in order to protect libraries.

• Defend your library’s budget wherever those decisions are made.

• Protest book banning efforts.

Libraries are our most democratic institutions. They literally serve everyone. They are the symbol of a free people. No wonder 47 doesn’t think they are necessary.

Come join me in defending knowledge, won’t you? Or we won’t have anything to hand off to the future.