Public libraries are essential infrastructure in every American community, and that especially is so during times of economic uncertainty. The elimination of federal funding for public libraries will be felt in every community across the country, and particularly in rural areas. Public libraries pro...

As the organizations that collectively represent public libraries in the United States, the Association for Rural & Small Libraries, the Public Library Association, and the Urban Libraries Council oppose the Executive Order calling for the gutting of the Institute of Museum and Library Services ...

The Urban Libraries Council's Library Insights Survey data tracks steady incline of library use and services, offers new insights into soaring e-Resource and meeting space usage. WASHINGTON, D.C. — In the summer of 2024, the Urban Libraries Council asked its 187 member libraries across the U.S. and...

Urban Libraries Council outlines strategies to better support both unhoused patrons and the staff who serve them. Washington, DC — The Urban Libraries Council (ULC), North America’s leading nonprofit and membership organization for urban libraries, has released a new set of best practices designed t...

Annual award program honors the most innovative projects from city libraries in the U.S. and Canada Washington, DC — The Urban Libraries Council (ULC), North America’s leading nonprofit and membership organization for urban libraries, has named six public libraries as “Top Innovators” for 2024 as pa...

New Leadership Brief Offers Recommendations for Public Libraries to Implement Washington, DC — The Urban Libraries Council released a new Leadership Brief addressing the rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and its contribution to the spread of misinformation and disinformation. With soci...

Premier North American library association publishes resource to advance literacy learning in urban public libraries Washington, DC — The Urban Libraries Council is releasing today its new “Science of Reading Toolkit,” a comprehensive resource designed to help public libraries implement evidence-bas...

Washington, DC — The Urban Libraries Council elected its 2024-2025 Board of Directors during an Annual Member Business Meeting held on June 20, 2024. "ULC is proud to welcome a dynamic group of individuals to our Board of Directors," said ULC President and CEO Brooks Rainwater. "They are leaders co...

Washington, DC — The Urban Libraries Council (ULC) and the University at Albany’s Center for Technology in Government (CTG UAlbany) are partnering to examine how libraries can empower communities to better understand Artificial Intelligence and ensure its ethical design and application. This three-y...

New data from Urban Libraries Council provides a snapshot of library services and operations since the pandemic began. Washington, DC — The COVID-19 pandemic immensely changed how public libraries operate and serve their communities. A new collection of data gathered by the Urban Libraries Council e...