Written by Brooks Rainwater, President & CEO, Urban Libraries Council...

Last week, over 250 library leaders and staff from 101 library systems across two countries gathered in Las Vegas for ULC’s record-setting Annual Leadership Forum, In Demand: The People and Power of Public Libraries. Over three days, the energy in the room made the theme feel less like a title and more like a fact. Public libraries are in demand, and so are the people who lead them.

In a world with increasing partisan division and civic disconnect, libraries serve as vital community gathering places where residents can meet across difference and find commonality. Libraries have always served as these third spaces – free, accessible locales for spending time that are neither home nor work. However, in a rapidly changing and often charged culture, library staff need new skills for fostering rich community engagement, bridging divides, and lifting otherwise unheard or marginalized voices in vital conversations. That’s where Urban Libraries Council’s partnership with Everyday Democracy came in.

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.

As trusted, nonpartisan spaces rooted in community, libraries are uniquely positioned to make civic engagement feel accessible, approachable, and, quite simply, possible. They can offer something many other institutions can't: low-pressure environments where young adults can ask questions, explore ideas, connect with others, and build the confidence to participate in civic life on their own terms.Through ULC’s recently launched Civic Makers Lab for Adults program, 10 library systems from across the United States are exploring exactly what this can look like. The cohort is designing and testing experiential civic learning programs that help young adults aged 18-24 build civic knowledge through action—whether through community simulations, youth-led projects, or issue-based campaigns.

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.

Every year, the Urban Libraries Council’s annual CEO Roundtable is an opportunity to convene with peers, to share your lessons and approaches, and ask for guidance. Here are ten takeaways from the convening...

"​With the spring recess behind us, I want to share a brief update on what we are seeing at the federal level. A recent court decision has preserved the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) for now, maintaining current funding pathways. This reflects sustained advocacy across the field and what is possible when libraries engage with a unified voice..."

"Last week ULC joined partners from across the field for COSLA’s Voices for Libraries Day on Capitol Hill, meeting with staff from the House Education and Workforce Committee and the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee on both the Republican and Democratic sides..."

"As we move into February, I want to acknowledge the pace and complexity many of you and your teams are experiencing across your communities and organizations. ULC’s support is centered on you and your libraries as you navigate this moment, through practical leadership resources, strong advocacy, and opportunities to stay connected to one another. Please lean on your ULC colleagues and peers as you support your teams and lead through change..."