Urban Libraries Council

ULC Systems Back Online - Password Reset Required!

ULC’s new Association Management System (AMS) is back online! This means ULC members are again able to log in to the ULC Member Hub, Data Hive, and ULC Academy portal. As part of the migration, all ULC members will be prompted to reset their password when they first log in. Please select either "Click here to create new password" or "Forgot your password?" on your login screen to reset.

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Live Workshop Series | Future Ready Boot Camp

The future isn't waiting, and neither should you. ULC Academy's new Future Ready Boot Camp workshop series gives library leaders the skills, mindsets, and tools to lead through uncertainty, test bold assumptions, and build services that adapt and thrive. Register by November 20 and save $300! Use code FRBCEARLY at checkout.

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From Participation to Power: Rethinking Youth & Young Adult Civic Engagement in Libraries

Young people are coming of age amid major shifts in community, institutions, democracy, work, and civic life. For libraries, meaningful engagement starts with understanding how young people see themselves, where they find belonging, and how they are already taking action. From Participation to Power is a two-part webinar series that moves from understanding young people to putting that understanding into practice. October 20 and November 19, 1:00-2:30 p.m. ET.

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Webinar | AI on Library Terms: A Panel Discussion on Values, Vendors, and Community Trust

Artificial intelligence is already being built into library tools and software. The more consequential issue is who is shaping AI applications — and how do libraries ensure that the values that define public libraries will be reflected in the tools and software libraries eventually use and recommend? This panel discussion brings together public library leaders to explore what it means to approach AI from a library perspective.

Promoting Civic Discourse in Public Libraries: Lessons Learned from ULC's 2025-2026 Initiative

From 2025 to 2026, ULC partnered with Everyday Democracy to train 50 library staff across 12 libraries in the United States and Canada on the techniques of multipartial facilitation—a form of facilitation that encourages and actively supports diverse participants and perspectives. Over this time, participant libraries facilitated 32 programs reaching a total of 674 attendees. Topics included youth workforce development, urban renewal, food justice, gender, race, housing, AI, education, civil liberties, and more. Along the way, we learned a lot about the value and impact of these conversations, and how libraries can continue to be bridges. Read more for ULC's lessons learned.

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Future Scenarios: Library Space & Design | A new policy roadmap for library leaders

As community needs shift, libraries are among the few civic institutions that provide the stability and essential infrastructure needed to navigate that change together. ULC’s new policy roadmap, “Future Scenarios: Library Space & Design,” offers recommendations on balancing physical library space and digital technologies to maximize library potential and presents exploratory future scenarios based on those recommendations.

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Jumpstart Your Safe Routes to Libraries Planning With ULC's GIS Mapping Tool & Tip Sheet

As part of ULC's collaboration with the Safe Routes Partnership, we are excited to announce a new resource as part of the Safe Routes to Libraries initiative. The Urban Libraries Council's Safe Routes to Libraries GIS Mapping Tool & accompanying Tip Sheet help public libraries and local governments better understand the existing infrastructure supporting pedestrian, bike, scooter, and transit access to libraries, while also setting a baseline for opportunities to improve access. These resources are part of ULC's larger Safe Routes to Libraries resource package, which includes the previously published Safe Routes to Libraries Impact Brief.

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ULC Announces Andrew Carnegie Foundation-Funded Civic Makers Lab for Youth Library Grantees

The Urban Libraries Council (ULC) is proud to announce the 10 participating member libraries for its Civic Makers Lab for Youth (15-18) project, made possible by a generous grant from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation, formerly Carnegie Corporation of New York. The participating libraries will offer hands-on civic learning experiences that complement school education, and partner with community organizations and families to deepen civic impact.

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"Messaging the E-books Crisis: A Communications Toolkit for ULC Libraries"

ULC is excited to share our new E-books Toolkit to help our members educate and inform the public, local leaders, and authors about how public libraries are affected by e-books licensing models and prices, and what they can do about it. It’s full of facts, messaging, resources like social media templates and an op-ed example, and most importantly, informed by the voices of libraries themselves, with a wealth of examples from libraries already speaking publicly about the e-books crisis.

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Announcing the 2026-2027 ULC Board of Directors

In ULC's virtual Annual Business Meeting on Thursday, June 11, ULC members confirmed the 2026-2027 Board of Directors. We are thrilled to announce the election of 4 Board Officers, 1 new Board Member, and the reelection of several returning Board Members!

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ULC Joins Leading Public Library Organizations to Call for E-book Action

ULC joins our peers at the Association for Rural & Small Libraries (ARSL), the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA), Canadian Urban Libraries Council / Conseil des Bibliothèques Urbaines du Canada (CULC/CBUC), and the Public Library Association (PLA) to publicly call attention to the e-books pricing crisis and demand change from the largest publishers. This effort matters because it sends a message that, as organizations advocating for and representing nearly all public libraries in the US and Canada – small and large, urban and rural, and everything in between – we stand united for change while open for dialogue, at a moment when states are turning up the pressure on publishers with legislative efforts.

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For over 50 years, the Urban Libraries Council has served as an outcomes-driven research and innovations network of more than 190 leading North American public libraries.

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“The Urban Libraries Council is a valuable partner and connector, bringing together the largest library systems in the country to share resources, insights, and a collective voice for the invaluable services we provide across the country.”

Heidi Daniel, Executive Director of King County Library System, ULC Board of Directors Chair

“As part of the Urban Libraries Council, I have an entire arsenal of directors who are in my shoes all over North America.”

Hannah Terrell, Director of Libraries, Austin Public Library

Strategic Priorities

Support the Urban Library Leader

Center the Transformative Role of Public Libraries

Drive Advocacy for Urban Libraries

The Voice of Public Libraries

ULC provides a forum for library leaders to share best practices and innovative ideas that inspire programs that support 21st century learning, a strong economy and an active democracy.

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