2023 National Medal for Museum and Library Services
LA County Library, Toledo Lucas Public Library

Earlier this week, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden and Institute of Museum and Library Services Director Crosby Kemper awarded the National Medal for Museum and Library Services to eight extraordinary institutions — including ULC members LA County Library and Toledo Lucas County Public Library!

The National Medal is the nation’s highest honor given to museums and libraries that make significant and exceptional contributions to their communities. Over the past 29 years, the award has celebrated institutions that are making a difference for individuals, families, and communities.

Congratulations to library directors Skye Patrick and Jason Kucsma on these incredible achievements. Your work providing and leading exceptional library services is an inspiration to us all!

Watch the full medal ceremony.

Jay-Z Takes Over Brooklyn
Brooklyn Public Library

Last week, the Brooklyn Public Library made history with a sprawling archival exhibit honoring the life and career of Jay-Z. Roc Nation teamed up with the library to plan the exhibit over the last six months, designing a unique tribute to the Brooklyn native.

In addition to the draw of the exhibition itself, the library is producing 13 limited-edition library card variations featuring its homegrown star — one for each album.

"Featuring artwork, music, memorabilia, ephemera and large-scale recreations of touchstones from a sprawling career, 'The Book of Hov,' which will run through the summer, might seem more at home at the Brooklyn Museum down the block. But by installing the showcase across eight zones of a functioning library, its architects are aiming to bring aspirational celebrity extravagance to a free public haven just a few miles from the Marcy Houses where Jay-Z grew up."

Read the full New York Times article.

A Deeper View into the Legacy of Residential Schools
Toronto Public Library

An interactive exhibit using mixed/augmented reality is coming to Toronto Public Library branches to educate visitors on the legacy of residential schools and to “start a broader conversation,” said one of the project’s creators.

Now through year’s end, “Residential School Survivors: Honouring the Memory”, a mixed-reality wall map of Canada marked by residential school locations and details, will be on exhibit in six Toronto Public Library (TPL) branches.

The exhibit is presented by Toronto Public Library; Weengushk Film Institute (WFI), a non-profit film and television training center for aspiring Indigenous and diverse filmmakers; and 360 Story Lab, which supports young people to use emerging and interactive technologies to create media, spent the past three years creating the installation.

Read the full story at Toronto.com.

Austin Public Library Debuts New Digital Makerspace
Austin Public Library

Austin Public Library’s central branch hosted the grand opening of a new digital makerspace earlier this month, unveiling free access to various digital editing and creation programs. The space features computers with free software like the Adobe Creative Suite, Audacity and Blender.

Director of Libraries Roosevelt Weeks said the new space would allow the community to tap into creative potential they might not have otherwise been able to explore.

“A lot of the resources that we have here, they’re expensive. A lot of people in our community can’t afford that,” Weeks said. “(People) get a chance to come in and use that equipment to use their creative mind, let the creative juices flow, and not let equipment, software or anything like that hinder them from being that creative person that they want to be.”

Read the full article at TheDailyTexan.com.