Gillian Peihe Feng, Contributing Photographer

Once empty shelves at the Pauli Murray College library are now filled with approximately 10,000 books donated from the personal collection of Harold Bloom GRD’55, a late Sterling professor of English at Yale.                   

On Thursday afternoon, Pauli Murray College held a welcome reception for Jeanne Bloom, Harold Bloom’s wife, to introduce Pauli Murray students to the library’s new additions.

“I think he would be pleased with it,” Jeanne Bloom said in an interview. “I’m happy for them to have a nice place at Yale with students who would enjoy having them.”

Bloom made the decision to donate the books to Pauli Murray last semester. The college welcomed the physical books before Commencement.

In an email to Pauli Murray students, Tina Lu, the head of college, called the newly donated books “the Bloom Collection,” describing them as a “pretty fair snapshot” of the late professor’s interests.

“After this many years as a college, our library has always been kind of soulless, because it has not been filled with books,” Lu said in her opening remarks at the reception. “To welcome a soul into here is just a privilege and such a joy.”

Lu also remarked about the books’ connection to Harold Bloom, calling him “one of the Yale-est of Yalies, someone who has taught so many generations and so many thousands of Yale students.”

“To just feel that we’re part of this chain is just such an honor and a privilege and a joy,” Lu said.

After Lu’s opening remarks, Jeanne Bloom cut the ribbon for one of the shelves.

Each donated book has a sticker that marks it as one belonging to Harold Bloom’s library. Bloom’s collection is acknowledged by a placard on a bookshelf, which recognizes both Harold and Jeanne Bloom.

Helen Zhang ’28, a student at Pauli Murray College, said that she is “amazed” by the donation.

“I’m glad to see these empty shelves gone,” Zhang said. “I really noticed how meager our previous book collection is.” 

Krish Ramkumar ’28 said he went to the reception after reading the News’ previous coverage on the book donation, and he wanted to “support the Murray library.”

“The book collection looks beautiful,” Ramkumar said. “I already see myself checking some of them out.”

When asked about her vision for the new books, Lu reflected on the distinction between physical books and the internet.

For Lu, the physical space of the bookshelves allows students to sift through books even if they weren’t specifically looking for something. 

“What I hope is that this is a place where people can pick up a book and find something fortuitously,” Lu said.

Pauli Murray College’s library is located on the second floor of Bass Tower.