Sault Librarians Seek to Lift City's TikTok Ban

Librarians want to use TikTok's BookTok subgroup to connect with younger readers.

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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The Sault Ste. Marie Public Library is seeking to either get the city to relax its three-year-old ban on the TikTok app or find a way to circumvent the ban so librarians can use the platform's BookTok subgroup to promote books and engage with younger readers. The library's CEO says they want to balance patron data privacy with the need to connect with users, especially younger ones, who are active on TikTok.

Why it matters

BookTok, a large subgroup on TikTok dedicated to book discussions, has been credited with significantly boosting interest in reading among young people and moving backlist titles onto bestseller lists. The Sault Ste. Marie Public Library wants to leverage this platform to better connect with its younger patrons, but the city's ban on TikTok is preventing them from doing so.

The details

In March 2023, the City of Sault Ste. Marie voted to ban TikTok from the city's computer system. While the public library has its own governance board, it uses the city's computer system, so the ban also applies to the library. The library's CEO says they are looking at ways to either get the city to relax the ban or find a workaround that would allow them to use TikTok, specifically the BookTok subgroup, to promote programs, highlight collections, and engage younger audiences through short-form video content.

  • In March 2023, Sault Ste. Marie city council voted to ban TikTok from the city's computer system.
  • In 2024, the federal government ordered TikTok to shut down its Canadian operations due to national security issues.
  • Last month, the Federal Court set aside that order after the government reached an agreement with TikTok to keep its Canadian offices while another national security review is conducted.

The players

Sault Ste. Marie Public Library

The public library system in Sault Ste. Marie, which has its own governance board but uses the city's computer system, and is seeking to either get the city to relax its TikTok ban or find a way to circumvent it so librarians can use the platform's BookTok subgroup.

Matthew MacDonald

The chief executive officer of the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library, who says the library is in the early stages of investigating ways to use TikTok while balancing patron data privacy and intellectual freedom concerns.

City of Sault Ste. Marie

The local government that implemented a three-year-old ban on the TikTok app on city computers and devices, which is preventing the public library from using the platform.

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What they’re saying

“Unfortunately, due to the city's current prohibition on the use of TikTok on municipal devices, the library is unable to establish or manage an official presence on the platform at this time.”

— Matthew MacDonald, Chief Executive Officer, Sault Ste. Marie Public Library (SooToday)

“We shouldn't be told what we can and cannot do in terms of creating content and getting information out to the community. So we're trying to balance privacy with the right to be able to promote ourselves.”

— Matthew MacDonald, Chief Executive Officer, Sault Ste. Marie Public Library (SooToday)

What’s next

The library board plans to either ask the city to relax the TikTok ban or find a way to circumvent it so librarians can use the platform's BookTok subgroup to connect with younger readers.

The takeaway

This situation highlights the tension between data privacy concerns and the need for public institutions like libraries to leverage popular digital platforms to engage with their communities, especially younger demographics. The Sault Ste. Marie Public Library is seeking a balanced approach that protects patron information while also allowing them to promote their services and collections through emerging social media channels.