July 6, 2005 (EVANSTON, ILL) -- Two key programs of the Urban Libraries Council (ULC) have received a combined total of nearly $2 million in grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) as part of its Librarians for the 21st Century Initiative. The ULC programs – the Executive Leadership Institute and Librarians for America’s Neighborhoods – focus on leadership training and librarian recruitment that strengthen the public library’s role as an essential element of urban life. The ULC is an alliance ofAmerica’s premier public library systems and the organizations that serve them.
“These programs are a perfect match with IMLS ‘Librarians of the 21st Century’ objectives, tackling two important issues facing tomorrow’s urban library: effective recruitment and strong leadership,” said Martín Gómez, president of the ULC. “The need for investment in the people who will provide leadership for and staff metropolitan public libraries, some of the largest community organizations in cities across the country, remains urgent. The wave of retirements and turnover at public libraries is accelerating, and the conditions in which librarians work have become more complex. Our industry needs librarians that understand their communities, reflect their diversity and have a passion for service to them.”
The new grant is the second time the IMLS has funded the Executive Leadership Institute, one of a variety of ULC programs aimed at building strong public library leadership. It was launched in 2000 to develop a pool of new, confident and competent community leaders and to address an oncoming wave of retirements among public library CEOs. The program combines expert instruction, national peer networking and executive coaching, with fellows honing their skills on live projects within the library. More than half of the Executive Leadership Institute’s 35 graduates have reported significant promotions within two years of completing the training. The ULC will begin accepting applications in October with the Institute beginning its new session in December.
Librarians for America’s Neighborhoodslaunched in 2003 in collaboration with 12 partner libraries. Recruiting and educating new librarians from communities across the United States, the program is building a diverse professional workforce that understands neighborhood-based public library staffing and service strategies. The second IMLS grant for this program will support the professional education in 23 partner public libraries, with 115 students in up to 30 schools of library and information science. Partner libraries will enhance the scholars' academic education with local orientations, providing insights into organizational and community dynamics and perspectives.
“From the perspective of directors leading large and complex urban public libraries, the need to recruit is critical,” said Gómez. “The IMLS grant will allow us to recruit and then provide unique support for Masters level LIS students; students who will be the next generation of people shaping and delivering public library services.”
For more information about the Executive Leadership Institute and Librarians for America’s Neighborhoods, visit the ULC on the Web at www.urbanlibraries.org.
For more than 30 years the Urban Libraries Council (ULC) has worked to strengthen public libraries as an essential part of urban life. A membership organization of North America’s premier public library systems and the corporations that serve them, the ULC serves as a forum for sharing best practices resulting fromtargeted research, education and forecasting. The ULC’s programs are acclaimed for inspiring new organizational models that invigorate urban libraries and enrich the areas surrounding them. The ULC is headquartered inEvanstonIllinois. For more information, visit the group on the Web at www.urbanlibraries.com |
