Urban Libraries Council

The ULC office will be closed tomorrow, Friday, June 19th, in observance of the U.S. Juneteenth holiday.

Join us for our new Safe Routes to Libraries Virtual Learning Series presented by the Safe Routes Partnership and the Urban Libraries Council! This series shares best practices and inspiring ideas for increasing safety and access to public libraries. You will learn practical strategies for implementing Safe Routes activities, explore innovative data tools, and connect with library staff and Safe Routes practitioners from across the country. If you have been waiting for updates on Safe Routes to Libraries, this is the place to be!

Our first session will feature Taylor Arnold, Makerspace Librarian from Billings Public Library. Taylor will share how he blends creativity and DIY activities to promote community bike safety. Read more about Taylor’s work in the Urban Libraries Council’s Safe Routes to Libraries Impact Brief.

Register now: https://buff.ly/hH0rdkS

Safe Routes to Libraries Virtual Learning Series | Safe Routes Partnership Join us for our new Safe Routes to Libraries Virtual Learning Series presented by the Safe Routes Partnership and the Urban Libraries Council! This series shares best practices and inspiring…

Introducing Covered: Ingram Content Group's new catalog and DRC site... Curious what this could mean for your collection development?

See it in action first.
📅 June 23 | 2 PM CT
🔗 Register: https://utm.io/uqkcF

ULC extends heartfelt congratulations to Pioneer Library System Executive Director Lisa Wells on receiving the prestigious 2026 ALA Ken Haycock Award for Promoting Librarianship, one of the profession’s highest honors recognizing extraordinary contributions to the public understanding, appreciation, and advancement of libraries and librarianship. For years, Lisa has been an invaluable addition to the ULC community, particularly in her leadership in the federal advocacy and e-content spaces. Congratulations, Lisa!

Learn more: https://buff.ly/YZEJ29A

PLS Executive Director Lisa Wells receives 2026 ALA Ken Haycock Award for promoting librarianship - Purcell Register The American Library Association has named Lisa Wells, Executive Director of Pioneer Library System, as the recipient of the prestigious 2026 ALA Ken Haycock Award for Promoting Librarianship, one of …

Registration is now OPEN for the 2026 ULC Annual Leadership Forum, "In Demand: The People and Power of Public Libraries," taking place September 30 to October 2, 2026, in Las Vegas! This year's Forum, hosted in partnership with the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District, will bring ULC members together for a high-energy, highly interactive gathering focused on relevance, leadership, communication, staff strength and community value.

The ULC Annual Leadership Forum is designed for ULC members who want new approaches for communicating library value, strengthening staff alignment and engagement, building community support, and elevating the impact of their library’s work. This is where ULC members come together to think bigger, build momentum and carry forward the people-powered strength of public libraries.

We hope you join us! https://buff.ly/GhFzPh1

2026 ULC Annual Leadership Forum Public libraries are in demand because people make them powerful: the teams who deliver the work, the communities who rely on them, the partners who strengthen them and the leaders who carry the message forward.

We’re excited to announce the eight ULC member libraries selected for a new national pilot program connecting public libraries with local news organizations! In partnership with More Perfect, these libraries will explore innovative ways to build trust in local information, elevate community voices, and foster civic dialogue — creating models that can inspire libraries nationwide.

Congratulations to: Alameda County Library (CA), Allen County Public Library (IN), Anne Arundel County Public Library (MD), Clayton County Library System (GA), Kalamazoo Public Library (MI), Pima County Public Library (AZ), Sacramento Public Library (CA), and Saint Paul Public Library (MN).

Learn more: https://buff.ly/5Dx7yPm

In an exclusive new interview with Louisville Public Media, Louisville Free Public Library mascots Gorp and Stick share what’s in store for the library’s “Wild About Reading” summer reading program, from prizes and activities to the books and outdoor adventures inspiring their own summer reading lists. LPM’s Ayisha Jaffer spoke with library mascots and Louisville celebrities Gorp and Stick about what readers can expect from the program, their love of libraries and what’s on their own summer reading lists...

Read more: https://buff.ly/AvOBBkz

Louisville Free Public Library’s mascots Gorp and Stick talk books, nature and summer reading Library mascots Gorp and Stick share what’s in store for Louisville Free Public Library’s “Wild About Reading” summer reading program, from prizes and activities to the books and outdoor adventures inspiring their own summer reading lists.

Today, the Urban Libraries Council joins 8 leading cultural organizations in delivering a simple message to Congress: protect and expand funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

Museums, libraries, and archives form the bedrock of our nation and communities, long serving as gateways to knowledge, literacy, workforce skills, culture, and civic life in uniquely American ways. As the nation celebrates our 250th anniversary, it’s more critical than ever to celebrate the institutions that stand at the past, present and future of every American community: rural or urban, large or small.

Read the full sign-on letter here: https://buff.ly/6upvC0c

NYPL The New York Public Library Chief Librarian and ULC Board Member Brian Bannon for The New York Times: "We had opened the library for a large-scale reading party for the first time. [..] There weren’t enough chairs, and we ended up turning hundreds of people away. This was not an anomaly. More New Yorkers are borrowing books from the New York Public Library today than 15 years ago; borrowing is up 27 percent since 2010. And yet America is facing a book-reading crisis."

Read the new op-ed here: https://buff.ly/ZHdQVsW

Read ULC President and CEO Brooks Rainwater's latest monthly message: "Over the past several months, I have had conversations with library leaders across North America that reinforce something important: public libraries continue to play an increasingly visible and essential role in our communities... At ULC, our work is centered on supporting you and your teams as you lead through this moment."

"Just last week, ULC joined with ARSL, COSLA, CULC, and PLA to publicly address the ongoing e-books pricing crisis and call for change from the largest publishers. This unified effort reinforces the importance of libraries speaking collectively around access, literacy, and the future of reading."

Read more: https://buff.ly/LFNZsGi