Barack Obama joins library TikTok campaign pushing back against efforts to ban books

Barack Obama has joined a TikTok campaign aiming to increase awareness of library services and promote access to books.

The former US president is seen sitting in the Kankakee Public Library, located in Illinois, drinking out of a library-branded mug and reading through a paperback.

According to the Washington Post, it’s the first in a series of TikToks that Mr Obama has filmed with libraries across the country, and comes amid a surge in efforts to ban books across some US states.

The words “reading can transport you to new worlds” appears on-screen after his appearance.