A new article from Smart Cities Dive examines the dynamic shift happening in public libraries to meet the changing needs of urban communities — featuring ULC members Baltimore County Public Library, The Seattle Public Library, Free Library of Philadelphia and Salt Lake City Public Library.And with...

Boston Magazine: "Why We Need Libraries More Than Ever"Boston Public Library In a new, in-depth feature from Boston Magazine, writer Tom McGrath posed the following question to Boston Public Library president David Leonard: “If public libraries didn’t exist and we tried to start them today, what do...

Bringing "Bay Beats" to the CommunitySan Francisco Public Library The San Francisco Public Library is celebrating the launch of its new free music streaming service, “Bay Beats," which launched this Saturday, Oct. 28. The initiative, born of a desire to support local musicians affected by the COVID...

New report from Urban Libraries Council examines how public libraries can lead the responsible use of AI. Washington, DC — Today, the Urban Libraries Council, an innovation and impact tank of North America’s leading public library systems, issued a new leadership brief that outlines five ways librar...

Celebrating Banned Books Week!ULC LibrariesOur member libraries were very busy during Banned Books Week! Here are some ways our members celebrated:Joining Books Unbanned: In addition to The Seattle Public Library, which joined Brooklyn Public Library's Books Unbanned initiative earlier this y...

The Book Sanctuary Movement Comes to Harris CountyHarris County Public Library "I think it's very important for the library to be able to provide content and information to everyone, especially in a community that is as diverse as Harris County," says HCPL Executive Director Edward Melton, “The thin...

ULC was mentioned in a press release from the Office of Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-MD) about the reintroduction a Resolution recognizing Banned Books Week and condemning the escalating attacks on books and freedom of expression in the United States.ULC President and CEO Brooks Rainwater was present...

ULC was mentioned in a press release from the American Library Association outlining programming and events for Banned Books Week 2023. Highlighted was ULC's partnership in The New Republic's Banned Books Tour 2023, a bookmobile tour supported by the American Federation of Teachers, the African Amer...

ULC President and CEO Brooks Rainwater recently connected with Business Insider to talk about how libraries are stepping up post-pandemic to address another major epidemic: loneliness."In many ways we see libraries as able to create that third space for people to work remotely, to come in and meet w...

Teens and Tweens Tackle Loneliness and Conflict Through "Circle Keeping" ProgramMilwaukee Public Library The Milwaukee Public Library is tackling teen loneliness and conflict through the "Circle Keeping" program, a space that seeks to help teens develop the skills needed for a healthy and safe life...