Urban Libraries Council

We're excited to announce the latest article in our series on the Creating Youth Opportunities (CYO) initiative—a groundbreaking ULC program empowering 11 libraries to serve 222 communities and reach over 411,000 opportunity youth. The article, written by Memphis Public Library's Jamie Griffin, tells the story of MPL's opportunity youth programming with the input of local voices and leaders like Mama Maxine. It explores how innovative library programs are tackling challenges like youth disengagement and economic disparity while creating real pathways for change. Discover how these initiatives are transforming communities and offering hope to our most vulnerable young people—read the full article now!

St. Louis County Library cardholders can now check out visual accessibility kits at all 20 county library branches. The library's new visual accessibility kits include a video magnifier, an adjustable LED lamp, and an LED angled hand held magnifier. The library’s goal is to eliminate barriers to access for people with visual impairments. The kits were made possible with the help of the Winnefred A. Lesandrini Trust. Residents can also apply to check out?three specialized pieces of equipment?from its collection, including an automatic text-to-speech reader and electronic portable HD video magnifier. Applicants will be randomly selected in a lottery drawing. Individuals chosen will be able to check out one of the devices for three months. Read more: https://lnkd.in/e-jZti_H

Before the internet made book reviews widely accessible, where would curious minds go to find information about a new novel's subject matter or a plot? If you lived in the Los Angeles area, you could reference the Los Angeles Public Library's index of fiction book review cards. The reviews, a collection of thousands of index cards, contain library staff members' thoughts and opinions about new fiction releases that the library carried. Read more via NPR: https://lnkd.in/e2HxsfYy

With the support of Walmart.org, ULC has led the?Creating Youth Opportunities (CYO) Initiative?since 2022, a program that?directly supports the capacity of 11 participating libraries to serve a total of 222 communities and reach more than 411,000 opportunity youth.?But who exactly are "opportunity youth?" In the first of a series of articles spotlighting ULC's CYO work,?The Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions' Senior Program Manager Arienne (Ari) J. Jones?outlines the definition of opportunity youth and offers insight on how libraries can genuinely engage with and create meaningfully designed spaces for this audience: "Public libraries are one of the last truly equitable spaces in the United States. Given this privilege, there is great opportunity within library systems to?create robust and fulfilling relationships with opportunity youth?by creating space for them to share their expertise, lived experiences, and unique perspectives."

ULC Board Chair and Edmonton Public Library CEO Pilar Martinez, ICD.D via Edmonton Journal: "In a democratic society such as ours, an individual’s right to engage in the creative works of fellow humans enriches our lives. Public libraries enable individuals to access and discover a broader range of knowledge than individuals could do on their own, fostering deeper engagement with the intellectual and cultural creations of our society." Read more: https://lnkd.in/enJCkMCp

"At ULC, one of our top strategic priorities is to?Support the Urban Library Leader—and that means equipping you with robust professional development opportunities, advocacy tools, and peer-to-peer networks that drive measurable impact. The ULC network cultivates deeper learning and broadens your team’s exposure across diverse issues. As you and your teams navigate a rapidly evolving environment, we are here to ensure you gain the highest return on investment from your membership. Read on for some recent key ULC offerings that can strengthen your leadership and the capacity of your teams."

?? Attention Library Branch Managers! ?? ULC is excited to introduce a new Member Community designed specifically for?Branch Managers! Branch managers play a vital role in leading staff, engaging with communities, and ensuring smooth daily operations. This?new Member Community?provides a dedicated space for branch managers—both current and aspiring—to connect with peers, share best practices, and strengthen their leadership skills. Staff from ULC Member Libraries can join the Member Community now: https://lnkd.in/eMnMaiee

Via Ottawa Citizen: "It seems that the most old-fashioned thing a library does — lending books — is these days the most fundamentally important. We live in a world where information is often so deeply fragmented and divorced of context that the choice to sustain book-length attention to a concept, a creative work, or any idea at all, feels like a remedy. Reading a book is an act of commitment, one which requires both intellectual and emotional engagement, as well as some generosity of spirit and humility: I might not already know everything; I haven’t considered this perspective; where is this story taking me?" Read the full op-ed from Ottawa Public Library / Bibliothèque publique d'Ottawa CEO and Chief Librarian Sonia Bebbington: https://lnkd.in/g-kTeWCp

The Cleveland Public Library is continuing its celebration of Black History Month by empowering young men to become the superheroes of their own life stories. The library held its annual "Man Up, CLE" event last week, teaching hundreds of middle and high school boys in leadership, innovation and technology. The event's keynote speaker was author, comic book writer and filmmaker David F. Walker, who has has notably written for Marvel Comics and DC Comics and received several Eisner Awards for his work. Read more: https://lnkd.in/ep-Z5fcG

via The New York Times: "Ian Avilez can’t get enough of books. So much so that the first-grader is reading at a third-grade level. 'I used to read to him when he was a baby,' said his mother, Miguelina Minier. His kindergarten teacher asked about Ian’s expansive vocabulary. 'Why does Ian know words that I didn’t even teach him?’ I’m like, ‘We live on top of the library,’' Ms. Minier said. Ms. Minier and her son live in the Brooklyn Public Library Sunset Park Library and Apartments in Brooklyn, which opened in 2023 with the residential part built above the library." Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/egfnbE24