Former President Barack Obama released a letter this week detailing his opposition to book bans, and as part of that effort he also appeared in a TikTok published by the suburban Kankakee Public Library.
Obama, who famously hails from Chicago, is seen in the video reading a book and sipping from a mug with the KPL’s logo on it.
The TikTok, titled “Reading can transport you to new worlds,” features numerous library staff members in a variety of still-life scenes inspired by the world of literature:
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Obama arranged to appear in videos with different libraries to
promote books and reading, with the Kankakee Public Library his first selection.
The former president released an open letter to librarians this week, which was published by the American Library Association. In the letter, Obama called the idea of banning books “profoundly misguided, and contrary to what has made this country great,” and thanked librarians for their work in making sure that sources of knowledge are available to as many Americans as possible.
“All of us owe you a debt of gratitude for making sure readers across the country have access to a wide range of books, and all the ideas they contain,” he said.
While Illinois did become the first state in the country to outlaw book bans, with new legislation withdrawing public funding from libraries that remove books from shelves for political or philosophical reasons, other states like Florida and Tennessee have gone in the opposite direction, causing a sharp debate that could play a large role in the upcoming presidential elections.
“Today, some of the books that shaped my life – and the lives of so many others – are being challenged by people who disagree with certain ideas or perspectives. It’s no coincidence that these ‘banned books’ are often written by, or feature people of color, indigenous people, and members of the LGBTQ+ community – though there have also been unfortunate instances in which books by conservative authors or books containing ‘triggering’ words or scenes have been targets for removal,” he said. “Either way, the impulse seems to be to silence, rather than engage, rebut, learn from, or seek to understand views that don’t fit our own.”
According to the Sun-Times, the Kankakee Public Library has not been targeted by those seeking to ban books, but was chosen by the Obama Foundation because of its “robust TikTok account.”
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
