About this Initiative
More than 82% of Black male 4th-grade students in the U.S. today are not proficient in reading, and inequitable achievement gaps lead to lifelong limits on workforce opportunities and overall economic mobility. Public libraries are uniquely positioned to support reading achievement in Black boys and other under-resourced communities.
In partnership with Barbershop Books, ULC’s Barbershop Books Pilot for Libraries supports a small cohort of libraries as they work to provide reading opportunities to Black boys directly in barbershops in their local communities. Participating libraries receive support, peer learning cohort opportunities and virtual training to connect with and establish programs in 10 local barbershops throughout 2023.
Program Participants
- Cleveland Public Library
- Columbus Metropolitan Library
- Shreve Memorial Library
- Charlotte Mecklenburg Library
Related Resources
Community Engagement Matters: Learnings from the Barbershop Books Pilot for Libraries
With the support of the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the Urban Libraries Council partnered with the nonprofit Barbershop Books to pilot an early literacy-focused family and community engagement model throughout 2023 and 2024.
ULC and Barbershop Books supported a small cohort of four library systems as they sought to develop barbershop-based reading spaces and increase reading opportunities for boys of color in their local communities. Each library partner identified and recruited 10 local barbershops, set up and maintained a bookshelf of children’s literature in each shop, and partnered with the barbershops to host community events.
This new report from ULC highlights lessons learned from the pilot and each library's best practices for community engagement.
Read NowThank You to Our Supporters for This Initiative
This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services grant number LG-252555-OLS-22.
