On November 6-8, 2024, 11 leaders from public libraries across North America convened in Washington, D.C., for the 2024 convening of ULC’s Creating Youth Opportunities (CYO) initiative. With a dynamic mix of presentations, panels, and discussions, the convening showcased innovative strategies to improve outcomes for opportunity youth—young people disengaged from both work and school and navigating systemic barriers to education and employment.

A message from ULC Board Chair Pilar Martinez, Chief Executive Officer, Edmonton Public Library As we approach Canada's National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Monday, September 30, I want to ref...

As part of its partnership with ULC and Barbershop Books, the Columbus Metropolitan Library (CML) hosted a Hair Resource Fair on Saturday, March 23, 2024, for children and families. The afternoon offered several opportunities for attendees to learn more about the library, participate in storytimes and meet local authors, get free haircuts from CML’s barber partner The BarberZone Barber Studio, and interact with community organizations.

In reflecting on their participation in the Barbershop Books Pilot for Libraries, Shreve Memorial Library agreed that their greatest success was the partnerships and relationships built with their barbers. The library recruited 10 barbershops as part of the initiative

In partnership with Barbershop Books, ULC’s Barbershop Books Pilot for Libraries supported a small cohort of libraries in 2023 and 2024 to provide reading opportunities to Black boys directly in barbershops in their local communities. The Cleveland Public Library knew participation would be beneficial as it aligned with the library's goal to put books into the community and possibly create change.

Through ULC’s Creating Youth Opportunities Initiative, 11 libraries participated in a peer-learning cohort and developed individualized program plans to specifically reach opportunity youth — those defined as young people between the ages of 16 to 24 years old who are disconnected from both school and work, frequently face challenging home or community environments.

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, Cleveland Public Library, Columbus Metropolitan Library and Shreve Memorial Library are participating in the Barbershop Books Pilot for Libraries​, an initiative in partnership with the Urban Libraries Council and Barbershop Books​ and supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Eleven representatives from leading libraries gathered in Washington, D.C. from May 31 to June 2, 2023, for a convening focused on developing program plans that will effectively serve opportunity youth. Opportunity youth are at the highest risk of involvement with the criminal justice system.

With the support of the Walmart.org Center for Racial Equity, the Urban Libraries Council is working to build a body of research on how libraries are working with African American youth. This initiative is called Creating Youth Opportunities.

In order for libraries to move forward in racial equity, people of color must be truly heard, received and valued. A racially equitable library will have a framework or a strategic plan with a clear mission and vision.