The Urban Libraries Council's (ULC) Virtual Summit: Empowering Libraries to Strengthen Civic Health and Democracy, held on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, brought together leaders and innovators from the public library sector to examine the essential role libraries play in fostering civic health and strengthening democracy. Throughout the two-hour virtual summit, our panelists explored how libraries lead efforts to counter misinformation and disinformation, promote race equity, and foster socioeconomic mixing. Read on for a recap of the Virtual Summit sessions and access recordings of the discussions.

At the heart of our communities, public libraries are breaking new ground every day. The Urban Libraries Council (ULC) is proud to showcase these changemakers through our Innovations Initiative, which has amplified transformative projects from our member libraries for 15 years. This year, we are proud that more than 100 ULC member libraries shared nearly 240 innovative ideas to be considered for award recognition.

A message from ULC Board Chair Pilar Martinez, Chief Executive Officer, Edmonton Public Library As we approach Canada's National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Monday, September 30, I want to ref...

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping our world, and public libraries across the U.S. are stepping up to provide accessible education on this transformative technology. As part of ULC’s pa...

To help libraries advance their literacy programs and ensure equitable access to quality education, the Urban Libraries Council developed a Science of Reading Toolkit with guidance on implementing evidence-based reading strategies that can make a meaningful difference in the lives of young readers

As part of its partnership with ULC and Barbershop Books, the Columbus Metropolitan Library (CML) hosted a Hair Resource Fair on Saturday, March 23, 2024, for children and families. The afternoon offered several opportunities for attendees to learn more about the library, participate in storytimes and meet local authors, get free haircuts from CML’s barber partner The BarberZone Barber Studio, and interact with community organizations.

How does the increased need for e-book licenses in public libraries' collections mean higher costs? ULC President and CEO Brooks Rainwater addresses the need for fair and equitable access and pricing for e-content in libraries across the U.S. and Canada.

By incorporating elements of structured literacy — the approach taken from the field of the Science of Reading — public libraries can significantly deepen the impact of their summer learning programs. Read about five strategies taken from ULC’s upcoming Science of Reading Toolkit to easily integrate the science of reading into your ongoing summer programming.

In reflecting on their participation in the Barbershop Books Pilot for Libraries, Shreve Memorial Library agreed that their greatest success was the partnerships and relationships built with their barbers. The library recruited 10 barbershops as part of the initiative

From May 19-21, 2024, ULC gathered more than 40 library directors and CEOs from across North America for our 2nd Annual CEO Roundtable. Held in partnership with the LA County Library and the Los Angeles Public Library, the event focused on strategies for public libraries’ responsiveness to the critical issue of homelessness.