In a strong act of commitment to a more equitable society, 189 public libraries across North America signed the Urban Libraries Council’s Statement on Race and Social Equity. This statement serves as a baseline upon which libraries can build policies and actions that make their communities more incl...

In partnership with the Salt Lake City Public Library and National Digital Inclusion Alliance, ULC is advancing a new Digital Navigators service model to help libraries address the new and intensified digital access barriers resulting from COVID-19. This project was made possible in part by the Inst...

The Urban Libraries Council has published a new Leadership Brief on Digital Equity in the Age of COVID-19. Informed by the work of ULC’s Digital Equity action team, this resource frames digital equity as a social justice issue and challenges library leaders to take on a more transformational role in...

The Urban Libraries Council elected its 2020-2021 Executive Board during a membership meeting held virtually today. Newly named ULC Executive Board officers, who will serve one-year terms, include: Richard Reyes-Gavilan (Executive Director, DC Public Library) as ChairDr. Mary J. Wardell-Ghirarduzzi ...

The Urban Libraries Council President & CEO Susan Benton has issued the following statement today (June 1):“The Urban Libraries Council stands with the #BlackLivesMatter movement and all who are calling for immediate, collective action to end the systemic racism and inequity entrenched in our co...

Public libraries across the U.S. and Canada are taking bold and innovative measures to mitigate the inequitable impact of COVID-19 on children, low-income families, communities of color, people experiencing homelessness and other high-risk populations. Through dynamic partnerships with local governm...

Public libraries are on the front lines of the coronavirus outbreak in North America’s communities. As COVID-19 has an increasingly devastating impact on education systems, economies, job markets and race and social equity, libraries are taking a leading stance in strengthening community resilience ...

The coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak continues to escalate globally, representing a serious public health threat for communities of all sizes. The World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other leading health experts have advised that social distancing is essential fo...

For the fourth consecutive year, the White House’s annual budget request has proposed eliminating funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) – the federal agency charged with empowering libraries and museums to transform their communities. In response, Urban Libraries Council Pr...

112 mayors and county executives have signed the Statement on Equitable Public Access to E-Books, taking a stand to support fair and reasonable e-book pricing for public libraries. These leaders represent many of the largest jurisdictions in the U.S. and Canada, and together they serve over 54 mill...