"Annapolitan William Marks, a retired Navy commander, is organizing a campaign called “Operation Caged Bird,” a reference to Maya Angelou’s book “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.” He is working with Jinny Amundson, owner of Old Fox Books in Annapolis to get the books into the hands of midshipmen during the upcoming Commissioning Week at the end of May. Their efforts have raised over $40,000 so far and gathered a contingent of volunteers. Many AACPL customers started asking if they could donate books so the midshipmen can have access to them. AACPL doesn’t accept book donations, but anyone who lives or works in Maryland can get a library card at AACPL. Midshipmen, instructors and USNA staff, and other community members who live on the Naval Academy property can get library cards at AACPL – and many have! Over the past month, AACPL has received an influx of online applications for virtual library cards from people affiliated with USNA and this doesn’t include people who just walked into the library to get a card. AACPL owns some of the books that were pulled from Nimitz Library, and others can be requested through interlibrary loan. AACPL was already working with midshipmen volunteers and doing outreach to USNA, and this has only increased the staff’s motivation to let the USNA community know what the public library has to offer. This has become more important due to the recent removal of categories of materials at the college library. The public library is ready to step up and stand by the values of intellectual freedom when faced with barriers that limit access for members of the community."