Former President Obama on Monday praised the nation’s librarians for standing “on the front lines” as book bans spread around the nation.
In a letter to the “hardworking librarians of America,” Obama denounced recent attempts to ban books that touch on topics like gender, sexuality and race. Many of these books and their authors shaped his life, Obama said.
“Writers like Mark Twain and Toni Morrison, Walt Whitman and James Baldwin taught me something essential about our country’s character. Reading about people whose lives were very different from mine showed me how to step into someone else’s shoes. And the simple act of writing helped me develop my own identity — all of which would prove vital as a citizen, as a community organizer, and as president,” Obama said.
“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,” he added.
During the 2021-2022 school year, more than 1,600 books were banned from school libraries, affecting 138 school districts in 32 states, according to a report from PEN America. Over the last two years, at least 19 states have passed legislation that would incarcerate librarians for providing “harmful” books to minors,
Americans owe librarians a “debt of gratitude” for continuing to provide access to these stories, Obama said.
“In a very real sense, you’re on the front lines — fighting every day to make the widest possible range of viewpoints, opinions, and ideas available to everyone,” said Obama. “Your dedication and professional expertise allow us to freely read and consider information and ideas, and decide for ourselves which ones we agree with.”
Obama’s statement comes as he has joined libraries around the country on TikTok to promote access to books. Though his home state of Illinois is leading the fight to outlaw book bans in public libraries, other states are seeing librarians targeted. In Texas, for instance, police have been called to schools and public libraries at least five times for books that contain “illegal content,” according to the Houston Chronicle.
But illegal content ranges from books covering the life of Ruby Bridges, the first Black child to attend a whites-only school, to writings by the nation’s first youth poet laureate, Amanda Gorman.
In his letter, the 44th president said it’s “no coincidence” that many banned books are written by people of color, indigenous people and members of the LGBTQ+ community.
“I believe such an approach is profoundly misguided, and contrary to what has made this country great,” Obama said.
“It’s also important to understand that the world is watching,” he added. “If America – a nation built on freedom of expression – allows certain voices and ideas to be silenced, why should other countries go out of their way to protect them?”
Obama added that librarians don’t just provide access to books — they also provide a safe space for people to talk, share ideas and access community programs.
“Together, you help people become informed and active citizens, capable of making this country what they want it to be,” he wrote. “And you do it all in a harsh political climate where, all too often, you’re attacked by people who either cannot or will not understand the vital — and uniquely American — role you play in the life of our nation.”