Barack Obama and the libraries of America

President-Elect Barack Obama keynoted the opening general session at the American Libraries Association Annual Conference in Chicago, June 23-29, 2005. The following August his speech -- which drew record crowds, and a standing ovation -- was keynoted itself, being adapted for the cover story of the August 2005 issue of American Libraries.

The message, headlined, Bound to the Word, is inspirational.

It begins: "If you open up Scripture, the Gospel according to John, it starts: 'in the beginning was the Word.' Although this has a very particular meaning in Scripture, more broadly what it speaks to is the critical importance of language, of writing, of reading, of communication, of books as a means of transmitting culture and binding us together as a people."

Read it all on American Libraries Online.