The Urban Libraries Council is an innovation and action tank of North America’s leading public library systems. We drive cutting-edge research and strategic partnerships to elevate the power of libraries as essential, transformative institutions for the 21st-century. We identify significant challenges facing today’s communities and develop new tools and techniques to help libraries achieve stronger outcomes in education, workforce and economic development, digital equity and race and social equity.

More than any civic institution, the social capital and wealth of resources that libraries provide have a positive impact on community well-being. ULC’s role is to be a collective voice showcasing libraries as essential agents that transform people and communities. To strengthen and advance the essential role of public libraries, ULC’s work emphasizes the following strategic priorities:

To achieve its mission, ULC has set goals to:

• Provide ideas, knowledge, tools and techniques that will help library leaders in their work with people and their communities.
• Lead and recognize innovations that drive leading practices in libraries and local communities.
• Support leaders, those who are leading libraries as well as those leaders supporting libraries, in the public and private sectors.

ULC strengthens the 21st century library and the community it serves by:

• Connecting members to cutting edge ideas, leaders, experts and research.
• Creating and supporting the ongoing development of a robust community of practice.
• Supporting current and next generation leaders through innovative professional development.
• Identifying forward-thinking library concepts and frameworks for the creation of new business models.
• Building strong partnerships with funders, local government and civic leaders.