Written by Brooks Rainwater, President & CEO, Urban Libraries Council

October was an extraordinary month for the ULC community — one that reflected the strength of our shared advocacy and the leadership of urban libraries across North America.

From October 22–24, library leaders from across the U.S. and Canada came together at the 2025 ULC Annual Leadership Forum in Cincinnati to share ideas, strengthen connections, and explore how libraries can harness their civic power to shape thriving, equitable communities. We focused squarely on advocacy — exploring how library leaders can advance influence, shape policy, and tell the stories that define our communities. Our fireside conversation with Mitch Landrieu reminded us that advocacy is rooted in courage, partnership, and people.

The Urban Libraries Council extends a massive thank you to all of the attendees, speakers, and sponsors who made the 2025 ULC Annual Leadership Forum such an incredible success—and to our generous hosts, the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library, for welcoming us to their vibrant city. Explore photos from the event here.

Looking ahead, we shared a sneak preview of new ULC resources during the Forum — including the Library Insights Survey (LIS) — created to empower data-informed leadership and support members. Stay tuned; the full report is coming soon, along with lots of conversation!

And lastly, I had the privilege of being a part of a national panel at the Internet Librarian Conference with former Institute of Museum and Library Services Directors Susan Hildreth and Cyndee Landrum and Chicago Public Library Commissioner Chris Brown to discuss the future of IMLS funding and the critical role libraries play in innovation and community resilience. During the discussion, I highlighted ULC's work with partners like the Association for Rural & Small Libraries and how our advocacy push has helped to educate over 30 members of Congress from both parties on the effects IMLS cuts have had on libraries large and small.

As you can see, October was a month that demonstrated the full scope of ULC’s leadership and advocacy — and your continued participation and engagement make it possible.

Please share your inspiring advocacy stories! It’s important for us to support and champion one another!