The 14th lip variant of congress on september 14th, 2016. Hayden is the first woman and first African American to the national library. Dr. Louise bernard is a senior president at the Obama Foundation and the founding director of, the obama president ial center museum. She previously served as director of exhibitions at the new york Public Library, as curator of prose and drama for the yale collection of, American Literature at the bennett rare book and Manuscript Library at Yale University and as assistant professor of english at georgetown university. As curator of, prose and drama for the yale collection of American Literature at the beinecke rare book and Manuscript Library at Yale University. And as assistant professor of english at georgetown. Chicago Public Library commissioner chris brown is passionate about redefining what Public Libraries can bring to the communities serve. Brown came to see in 2021 after more than a decade serving in california and districts, he is currently spearheading collaboration with neighborhood safety groups, city departments and outside partners in order to establish safe spaces for youth. And now, please welcome to the stage dr. Carla hayden. Dr. Louise bernard and commissioner chris brown. Well, this is exciting. Im im going to try not to fanboy out too much. Well, and with dr. Bernard too and both of you and i was just saying we were saying backstage that president obama and first lady have been supporters of libraries. Theyve both spoken at American Library association conferences. And so were so pleased to get a sneak peek. Absolutely. Of something thats really, really citing the i had a chance to coming in to chicago to pass by the site of the new president ial center and its impressive. Could you tell us a little bit about really what i was seeing . Because it was a structure thats like eight stories high right in the middle of right by the museum of science and industry. And it looks phenomenal. So. Dr. Oh, thank you, dr. Hayden and hello, everyone. Its wonderful to join you today at alma with my colleague chris brown from the chicago Public Library as dr. Was saying, the obama president ial center is situated on the south side. Chicago is currently under construct, so its rapidly coming out of the ground. And i think people can really see what a truly exciting and phenomenal project this is and will be all to say. The center, the president ial center is situated on 20 acres of historic jackson park adjacent. The museum of science and industry, as you mentioned. But also adjacent to the university of chicago. And its rooted in community. And there are three key communities that we will serve. So we about woodlawn, we think about washington park, which is where the desalvo of africanamerican history is, and also south shore is where mrs. Obama was born and raised. So the story that we tell at the center is rooted in and very specifically on the south of this great metropolis. Its a national story. Its the story of the nations 44th president , the nations first black president , the first black family in the white house. And its also a global story it has this international reach. And so we think about the center has been a really dynamic hub. It is a catalyst for change as many people may know, the Obama Foundations mission is to inspire, empower and connect people to change their world. And we can talk a lot about what literacy means within that kind of a framework. But the center is also part of what we would like to think of as a civic commons. And this is where Public Libraries are so important to. Our mission. But we think about the way in which there is a museum which as you mentioned, will be this vertical structure is connected to a building that we call the forum, which is where all the multipurpose spaces are. And then we have the branch of the chicago Public Library, which well talk more about obviously. And then a fourth building, which is an athletic center. And so this is all tied to the idea of health and wellness to idea of sustainability. It is a revitalization of this historic park and so we think about democratic space making again to come back to the important kind of social infrastructure work museums do within the idea of democracy itself. But i also mentioned that there is great lawn, theres an accessibly designed playground and theres a fruit and vegetable garden is a version of the white house kitchen garden. There were beautiful walkways. And again, were connecting the park is currently bisected by canal drive. Were connecting it to the lagoon and to the lake beyond. So it really is vibrant hub of activity and really ensuring that it is a key amenity and an asset for our local residents. Even as we expect hundreds of thousands tourists, people from across the greater chicagoland area, across the country, around the world to visit as every year. So that is the in a nutshell and happy to delve into this a little bit deeper and you can see those words inspire to empower. And what was the other one . Connect and connect it yes in bold letters surrounding the the workspace and its so impressive and idea of having been a Chicago Public im a little prejudiced so think thats a good idea but to have a home like library rooted in will people okay heres the Million Dollar question people are going to ask can they take out books . You can take out books. You will be able to check out books. But i think theres also this really incredible for libraries that this branch represents to have a National Leader figure like the obamas choose to build center, but to include a Public Library in that space. Were going to be having all of our Library Communities leaders are going to be visiting this, right . Were going to be getting millions of visitors, leaders from across our country and around the world are going to be seeing this Learning Center and seeing that this leader in our country is signaling the importance of libraries as part of that ecosystem and Learning Space. And so i think everyone going back to their communities is going to be also thinking, oh, were developing either a Learning Space or a Learning Center or theres this Development Taking place in our community. Should we be thinking about a library in this space . So i think i mean, something incredible for chicago and for the obamas, but i think it also means something as a example and and model for the rest of the country. So it is the okay. Yes, this is the. So the other question that people will ask is how is the Center Different from or is it from a president ial library . Because thats something that comes it is and i think it is still a point of confusion for many people that we often refer president ial libraries, president ial museums. Those are generally entities that does collections which house steward the documents from a Given Administration as well as often many gifts that were objects that were gifted to the first lady to to the president an administration those they live within the National Archives. So that the National Archives are the custody and the stewards of those materials, which is the same for what is referred as a barack obama president ial library. But that is actually the archive. I think the thing that is complex to it is that the presidency that is, you know, the main kind of thrust of this particular story is also the story of the nations First Digital president. It is that which means that the majority, 95 of those president ial records were born digital without paper equivalents. That means that the president wanted to ensure that in building the center this complex that we were giving over as much real estate as possible to every day people hence partnering with the chicago Public Library system, it means that scholars and for researchers and interested readers who want to really delve into the history of this administration, those materials is Still Available through the National Archives, the Obama Foundation is helping to digitize the remaining. 5 of those textual records, the unclassified records. That still means some 26 million pages to be digitized. And as everyone in this room knows, digitization alone is not one in the same with access. We still need to ensure then that those materials fully accessible through digital so that where we partner with the National Archives for those textual records as well as some 30,000 objects belong to the National Archives and we will be borrowing from those collections to display those materials at the museum. So its a new model of a president ial library in which engaging the cpo, where literally unpacking the traditional understanding of what a president ial library can be, while still ensuring in partnership with the National Archives that scholars have access to, those unclassified documents i looked up stuff library and they have a website now the Obama Library dot gov which has a lot of information the library part and, the archives and things like that and they theyre building stuff up and doing that. So you mentioned the museum. So whats going to be in the museum you know, so the museum will really be the anchor of the center. And again we can talk more the relationship with with the library itself with the chicago Public Library. But the museum main kind of narrative arc tells a story of the the 44th president of the united barack obama, that president obama really wanted to ensure that the story the administration and its a work two terms was really embedded in a nuanced contextual history of american democracy. The process and practice of american democracy and that any idea of progress, as we know in this country is not linear. Theres a push and pull around. The idea of progress. But he wanted people to understand that his story is seemingly unique and phenomenal in so many ways. But he began life as a community organizer, chicago and so that hes able to offer up a kind of case study of what it means to live a life of Public Service. But that life of Public Service made possible because of all of the people who had gone before. So we have a concept around on his we stand, which is to that we think about the progressive movement, some milestones that really made that moment into thousandeight possible it was a watershed obviously a Pivotal Moment in this nations history. But we also saw a very radical pendulum swing between 2008 and 2016. And so we want people to understand that that didnt come out of nowhere, that that is rooted in history of this nation. And so unlike many other president style libraries or museums, we really have to think about what we would call the counternarrative, which is the history of race and racism in this country, to think about the history around progressive movements that push pull that progress, to think about popular ism and what would now frame as white supremacy. These are very difficult concepts and theyre going to be in the museum. They will be recognized. Well, the story of this particular president , as well as all of the questions around Decision Making and that no one president can accomplish everything within a given term, within a Given Administration. So its helping people to see the really difficult and complex history that the president had to grapple with. He was a wartime president at that, you know, inherited two wars in iraq, afghanistan. We about the issues around health care, the economic crisis that he walked into in again he inherited in 2008. But theres also we joke about the fun and the grind. So we show the grind, the hard of those two terms. But we also show the fun, the levity, the joy the grace and dignity of this particular lady and president. We wanted to ensure that mrs. Obamas story was not a decorative set piece. Everyone will want to see her dresses, of course, and does all the dresses be there . The dresses will be on display in all of their glory. But again, that that story as much as it is about the beauty of this first lady and her elegance, its also a story about the way in which she was able to lift up diverse emerging designers. Designers of color, how every time she engaged with designers ensured that there was an educational workshop at the white house engaging with young people always, theres a sense sartorial diplomacy about the designers that she wore both at home and abroad. And so thats a way in to really understanding the broader expansive beauty of that particular story. We talk about president and mrs. Obamas global travels. We talk about life at the white house, all the amazing events that happened in that space and also how they opened up the white house more people than ever before. It really is the peoples house. Then we talk about the living legacy of the president , saying the passing the baton, so to speak, to future generations of young changemakers. So the work of the foundation is ongoing work and we think about the Pivotal Moment of the president s farewell address when he asked everyone again, step up into the role of, quote unquote, to really the work forward. There is lots of work to be done. As we all know. And i think what were were excited to be working on with the center, looking at our Public Library space and a lot of the spaces that the audience will have in their libraries. So many of us have our Makerspace Makerspace is or sound recording studios, but i think finding ways to play off of that obama narrative as Community Organizers really thinking about how that makerspace can be used to literally make space in your community, make your protest posters thinking about their role as authors, and thinking about journaling stations that we can set up so that people, as they come into the library, are thinking about themselves, their own authorship, their own agency, which we know they already do, but think it lets us tie a through line to the obamas story and what we do in libraries as well. So what will the branch be called . We have i dont think weve totally settled on that. Okay. Im it will be i dont know. But i kind of suspect in the Obama Library weve weve kind of moved from naming libraries after okay we have a few that are named for gary coleman and a good few others whats a regional. One but i think we have to make an exception for this one and and were just to have it. Yeah. And it would so much i think to have a Public Library named after me. So little spaces and so behind the i mean the audience should know they were doing work while they were waiting to go out. And i heard them talking about meeting with the programing committee and things like that. So how is how was what is going on . What were some of the spaces that louise mentioned, the form the garden that will be above the obama branch, outdoor greenspace and kind of the childrens play area. Well weve been really talking about is not just how libraries activate our spaces inside the branch, which we know we all do, all learning that we provide opportunity for. I think weve moved as a field into activation outside of our doors, our work with partners, our work in outreach and i think whats unique about this branch is well be able to literally work with their programing teams to activate that form to think about who do we want bring in as speakers you know, on that green line, what kind of movies do we want to show together in collaboration that highlight the story where were together . You mentioned garden on top. I know you have Harold Washington library has the winter garden. The winter garden. So could you tell us a little bit more then about the physical space of this branch . Because it sounds like going to be something. Yeah. So the garden above the branch, the president ial garden, you know, weve been thinking about how we have this synergy between the Library Space and that rooftop garden. Its going to be run by the chicago botanical garden. So another partnership. But thinking the things that libraries already do like our seed lending libraries and how people when they come to Library Locations and go to that rooftop garden, are able to then pick up those seeds, think about replicating their own gardens, their own Healthy Eating in their their own space. So the first ladys Initiative Event like that, now they dont have to return the seeds. No. Okay. Im just, you know. See, let you know youre going to sometimes be specific. You also have your connection to chicago, of course, as a as former chief librarian. With us or you were very kind to bring they went in the archives beforehand and brought out photos from for hairdos ago and a lot of pounds but you know that activism because Chicago Public has cold locate