The beginning of the new year is often a time to set intentions, outline goals and chart paths for progress — be it personal or professional. At ULC, we are starting 2024 with a refreshed approach to the strategic priorities that will guide our work this year, and in the years ahead.
The Library Insights Survey serves as a guidepost for the resiliency of libraries and the bright spots they hold in our neighborhoods. This data demonstrates how libraries are strengthening their operations and purposefully serving their communities since the pandemic.
As architects who work with libraries, the topic of "Libraries as Place" is of particular interest. For a variety of reasons, however, it is not unusual for libraries to find themselves working with an architect who doesn’t have quite this level of experience. Fortunately, there are strategies that libraries can use with a variety of architects to design spaces and facilities that are both functional and inspirational.
In the 15 months since I started as President & CEO of ULC, I have had the opportunity to talk to the leader of every library in our membership and visit many libraries in my travels. And for a few days at the end of October, we harnessed that rewarding energy of learning from each other at the 2023 ULC Annual Forum in Seattle.
In November 2023, ULC convened over 200 library leaders from more than 90 North American public library systems in Seattle, Washington to network, collaborate and learn at the 2023 ULC Annual Forum: People, Power, Place — Today's Urban Public Library.
Through ULC’s Creating Youth Opportunities Initiative, 11 libraries participated in a peer-learning cohort and developed individualized program plans to specifically reach opportunity youth — those defined as young people between the ages of 16 to 24 years old who are disconnected from both school and work, frequently face challenging home or community environments.
The Urban Libraries Council strongly supports libraries across North America as they face extreme challenges and recognize Banned Books Week. We’re grateful to partners such as the American Library Association and PEN America for cataloging the increase in book banning attempts this year, on top of the already record number of attempts last year.
To celebrate an incredible turnout for the first summer of ULC's Building Equity: Amplify Summer Learning initiative, ULC developed an interactive map to highlight what these ideas look like when they’re implemented by libraries.
Written by Brooks Rainwater, President and CEO, Urban Libraries Council...
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, Cleveland Public Library, Columbus Metropolitan Library and Shreve Memorial Library are participating in the Barbershop Books Pilot for Libraries, an initiative in partnership with the Urban Libraries Council and Barbershop Books and supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
