2025: No Longer Bound to Print
THE UNDERGROUND JOURNAL: DAILY ARTICLE FOR FEBRUARY 22, 2026
Articles and Interviews by: Sam Eddmeiri
[CHICAGO] — Chicago Public Libraries fight back against January book ban by using electronic devices to provide public reading materials.
Chicago Public Libraries (CPL) director Ted Barker has recently decided to push back against the book ban that was enacted in early 2017, banning libraries from renting out paper books to the public. This was in an effort by two term president Ronald Thump to ‘make America the way it used to be,’ which included implementing a public library ban in major cities to ensure that cities with larger populations and their surrounding areas had the same education.
This ban did not completely remove books from the public sphere, however greatly restricted access to books that promoted anything outside of Thump’s traditional views. Specific religious texts, such as the Torah and the Quran, were still available, but were limited in number and those who asked to see these holy texts were often persecuted.
Baker plans on using MyTab tablets to provide books and academic articles to the greater Chicagoland area. MyTab is a company launched in 2019, three years after Thump was sworn into office. MyTab focuses on providing reading materials and tablets at a lowered cost to citizens that still wish to read and learn from resources other than what was provided them in print at the libraries.
The tablets featured in Chicago Public Libraries will come in one size, about six inches by four inches. The font will be able to be adjusted to the need of the consumer, to encourage people from all age groups and different abilities to continue learning. They run off of solar power, but can be plugged in if necessary.
“I’m excited for this transition,” MyTab CEO and spokesperson Nick Phillips said on Friday. “I think that with recent events that ban physical copies of many books, this is a good way to continue to spread education and allow people from all kinds of different backgrounds to have access to articles, journals, and books that Thump had deemed inappropriate for the general public. At MyTab, we want to use technology to empower the people, not restrict them.”
Phillips and Barker first discussed the possibility of integrating libraries with these texts shortly after the company’s launch in 2019. “Technically, what we are doing is not illegal,” Barker said, “Thump’s ban applies to physical copies of books already existing in libraries. The bill is vague and does not explicitly ban the distribution of electronic copies of books. The versions provided by MyTab will be completely electronic from start to finish, so they’re not outlawed.”
While this is a loophole to some, it is a beneficial opportunity to others. Loyola University Chicago sophomore Katie DiNardi believes that this will provide a positive impact on the Chicagoland schools. “After the bill was passed in March of 2017, I personally saw my first-grade sister struggle to get access to simple books that she’d need for her classes. Now, I am seeing her as an eighth grader struggle to understand important sides of historic issues due to lack of materials,” DiNardi continued, “I’m really hopeful for this new electronic way of providing access to books and readings. While it will probably lead to some conflicts between the normalcy of not being glued to a screen and the excitement to have entire books and histories at the touch of a fingertip, I think that this will be for the better. Life without access to a great majority of information is not a life that people are meant to live, especially in America.”
MyTab tablets are scheduled to be integrated into most Chicago Public Libraries by early May. They will be available to the public immediately. To be able to use these, you must create an account with MyTab and put down a deposit (amount will vary slightly by area) that will be refunded when the MyTab is returned. Only one MyTab will be allowed to be checked out per family, and after the customer has had the tablet for over 90 days, the deposit will be nonrefundable.
Questions and concerns can be addressed to Ted Barker at the Chicago Public Library headquarters (713–234–7458). Questions about MyTab tablets and other products and services can be directed to Nick Phillips (638–268–0294).
Sam Eddmeiri is a writer and reporter for the underground journal, a newspaper dedicated to publishing the reality of the American people in a time where they are opposed and oppressed. She lives in the Chicagoland area and is a graduate of Northwestern.
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This is a purely fictional story of events that could happen in 2026, in a world where people choose to revert back to older ways of thinking that are potentially damaging and overall restrictive. The purpose of this “article” is to highlight the way that technology interacts with society and furthers widespread knowledge and education, even though it is often deemed as distracting or unnecessary.
Resources:
Design Fiction: A Short Essay on Design, Science, Fact, and Fiction (Julian Bleeker)
