A Redefined Library and Embracing Digital Design at the Obama Presidential Center

The Chicago Public Library branch at the Obama Center includes a Reading Room full of books Barack and Michelle Obama have read. (The Obama Foundation)

After nearly five years of construction, the Obama Presidential Center is now just two weeks away from its grand opening on Juneteenth weekend. 

The campus, sprawling across historic Jackson Park, houses basketball courts, gardens, a branch of the Chicago Public Library and an eight-story museum. The multi-use space is in sharp contrast with traditional presidential libraries. 

Chicago Public Library Commissioner Chris Brown and Cheryl Durst, executive vice president and CEO of the International Design Association, joined “Chicago Tonight” to give their reactions to the completed project. 

On the Obama Presidential Center’s new Chicago Public Library branch:

The library system’s 82nd branch is the first ever public library to be part of a presidential center. It features the Presidential Reading Room, which holds 3,000 books chosen by the Obamas’ as well as a space to work and relax, and atop the library sits the Eleanor Roosevelt Garden. They plan to host film screenings, open mic nights and story times in the reading garden.

President Barack Obama redefined the function of a presidential library, said Brown. 

“It’s not just a collection of archives related to the administration,” Brown said. “A lot of it is space for the community. I think it’s incredible that when thinking about a library, they put a public library forward for this community, as opposed to just something for the administration.”

On the campus design: 

Aside from the library, there’s also a music studio, co-working spaces, a podcasting studio and more community resources — making it “immediately accessible to visitors and the community,” said Durst, who was selected as one of the 33 “Changemakers” by the Obama Presidential Center, honoring her work and excellence in design.

“The building itself is really a testament to the service of the Obamas,” said Durst. “It’s an incredible art collection. It speaks to those who access the space. It’s not an altar. It is immediately accessible. It is a testament to great storytelling. It is a testament to words, how we use words, the power of words, the power of art and the power of place.”

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WTTW News Explains: What You Need to Know About Tornadoes

(WTTW News)

The latest edition of our WTTW News Explains series aims to separate the facts from the fiction when it comes to tornadoes and their impact on the Chicago area. 

Have you heard that Chicago’s tall buildings keep it safe from tornadoes? Wrong! 

So, what else are we getting wrong about twisters?

For starters, the term “tornado season” is kind of misleading. While it’s true that most of the tornadoes recorded in Illinois have hit between April and June, they’ve also hit the state in every other month of the year.

And tornado alley? That’s another misconception. Tornadoes have touched down in all 50 states. Twisters can form anywhere at any time. That’s what makes tornadoes so dangerous — they’re wildly unpredictable.  

Chicago Gallery to Play Records and Other Recordings Created Inside Midwest Prisons and Jails

A selection of the records set to be played at Walls Turned Sideways on June 12, 2026. (Josh MacPhee)

The year is 1970 and 2,117 incarcerated people have gathered in the yard of Cook County Jail.

Before the crowd, an emcee gives thanks to the “beloved” sheriff and a “dear friend,” the chief justice of the criminal court. Both names are met with a chorus of boos. Then a third name was announced: B.B. King. A loud applause ensues. 

King’s “Live in Cook County Jail” performance is just one of several vinyls recorded in Midwest jails and prisons that will be spun at the gallery Walls Turned Sideways on June 12. The listening session is a collaboration between Chicago-based artist Marc Fischer and Josh MacPhee, a founding member of the Brooklyn-based Interference Archive, which collects cultural materials produced by social movements. 

The artists’ prison records range from organist Jimmy McGriff to the Triton College Jazz Band playing Frank Zappa songs at Cook County Jail. 

“I was interested in all of these different chains of collaboration, including with the record labels, to release this music by people who don’t get to leave to play concerts,” Fischer said.

Inside Audio: Vinyl Records Recorded in Midwest Jails and Prisons, will be held from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on June 12 at Walls Turned Sideways, 2717 W. Madison St.

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More From WTTW News:

• Stacey King, who played on three consecutive NBA championship teams with the Chicago Bulls from 1991-93 before returning to the organization as an Emmy-winning, fan-favorite broadcaster, has died. He was 59.

  
  

Back in the Day: June 8, 1976 - Bruins Great Bobby Orr Signs with Blackhawks 

On this day 50 years ago, Chicago Blackhawks Chairman Arthur Wirtz spoke at a press conference at the Bismarck Hotel and announced the team was signing “the best player in the history of the sport.” That man was Bobby Orr, a future NHL Hall of Famer, who was a two-time Stanley Cup winner and earned eight-straight Norris Trophy awards during his tenure with the Boston Bruins. He signed with the Blackhawks for a whopping $3 million over five years. There was a catch, though: injuries had ravaged Orr’s knee. What remains one of the greatest “what ifs” in Chicago hockey history, Orr’s stint with the Blackhawks was short-lived and full of injuries and rehabilitation. Orr, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest to ever play the sport, retired two years later at 30.

This Week’s Civic Events and Meetings

Every Monday, WTTW News highlights the best ways to get involved with local government. 

Chicago Transit Board

A regular meeting of the Chicago Transit Board is happening Wednesday, June 10 at 10 a.m. It's being held at the second floor of the CTA offices at 567 West Lake St. You can attend in person or virtually via YouTube. You can also submit a public comment in accordance with the CTA’s Public Comment process.

Chicago City Council's Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights

Chicago City Council's Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights will hold will hold a meeting on Thursday, June 11, at 10:15 a.m. While meeting details and an agenda are still to come, attendees can submit a public comment to CIRR@cityofchicago.org by Wednesday morning. Check the City Clerk website for more details and further updates.  

If you could time-travel to any moment in Chicago's history, what would it be? 

Email DailyChicagoan@wttw.com with your responses and your answers might be published. 

• Teen takeovers have been a frequent topic of discussion as summer starts. How community groups are working to address them.  

5:30 PM | 10:00 PM

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Newsletter Producer: Josh Terry