This Baltimore Banner article highlights the annual successes of Baltimore's Enoch Pratt Free Library, citing Pratt's recent work with ULC's Creating Youth Opportunities Initiative:

"There’s no one reason why loans have surged, said Enoch Pratt Free Library chief of collections and access services Michael Knowlton Johnson, but like every good librarian, he has a few ideas filed away for reference. He pointed to branch renovations, investment in digital books and the system’s increased use of analytics as keys to the system’s borrowing growth.

"And it’s not just the books, Johnson said: Pratt programming, connections to social services and kid-friendly activities have helped bring more people through the doors.

"The Urban Libraries Council, a research and policy think tank that advocates for public libraries, recognized the Pratt in a December 2025 report for engaging young people who are disconnected from school or employment. It credited the system’s Earl Teen Center that serves as many as 40 teens a day with programs including Anime Club, sneaker design, poetry writing and therapeutic art."

Read the article.