HOPE AND BOOKS

Cities Battle for Obama Library

Honolulu and Chicago both likely locations.

Competition is heating up between Honolulu and Chicago as they vie to be selected as the location for Barack Obama’s presidential library. Obama was born in Hawaii, but began his political career in Chicago. Presidential libraries each draw an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 visitors per year to the cities they're in. Bill Clinton selected the location of his library during his second term, so a decision could come soon. The president of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce claims that Chicago should be selected. “Flying all the way to Hawaii is costly and you’d have to tie it to a vacation. Here you can drive to the library and visit because you’re already in the city for a meeting or convention,” he said.