About This Page
The Partnering with Schools Action Team focuses on the critical nature of partnering with schools to support the holistic education of children and youth in our communities. In 2023, the team will share positive examples of working relationships between libraries and schools on local, regional and national levels, and find ways to support libraries as they reach out to historically ignored communities to breathe equity into the educational environment.
ULC members: If you are interested in joining this action team, please contact Shari Henry, Director of Democracy and Community Impact, shenry@urbanlibraries.org.
Learn more about ULC's action teamsTeam Objectives
- Help guide families in being involved in supporting their children’s education and in the civic process that makes policies affecting such.
- Set standards for how to get library cards in the hands of students and allows them unfettered access to learning, free of barriers including fines.
- Outline programs and partnerships needed to support the library’s role in food security, knowing that children can’t learn if they are hungry.
- Incorporate language into library practices and programs that translates to Department of Education common core standards and eases the entry into supporting teachers and students.
A Message from the Team
Providing young learners with equitable and high-quality education opportunities is essential for the long-term resiliency and prosperity of all communities. However, the continuous learning needs of 21st-century youth are too vast for any single institution to take on alone.
Public libraries and school systems are natural partners for ensuring every child has a fair chance to achieve educational success and benefit from robust learning experiences, regardless of their family's socioeconomic status. COVID-19's disruption on education systems has magnified the challenges and gaps facing today's youth, making library-school partnerships more vital than ever.
Our action team aims to help unlock the full potential of partnerships between schools and libraries across North America by raising awareness of critical challenges and effective, sustainable solutions.