ULC Webinar:
Continuing the Conversation --- Race and Social Equity in Public Libraries
Thursday, October 27, 2016
9-10 am PT | 10-11 am MT | 11 am-12 pm CT | 12-1 pm ET
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Andrea Blackman,
Special Collections Division Manager,
Nashville Public Library
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Jane Eastwood,
Director,
Saint Paul Public Library
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Kent Oliver,
Director,
Nashville Public Library
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On Thursday, October 27, ULC will host a webinar, Continuing the Conversation: Race and Social Equity in Public Libraries, with Nashville Public Library (NPL) and Saint Paul Public Library (SPPL). During the webinar, we will feature and outline two programs that have put each library in the spotlight for creating and building awareness around equitable opportunities and treatment for all.
NPL Director Kent Oliver and Special Collections Division Manager Andrea Blackman will discuss "Police and Librarians, Working on Civil Society," a program in which library leaders use NPL's Civil Rights Room and Collection to teach local police recruits about Nashville's Civil Rights legacy and foster conversations about how history may impact their work today. The Saint Paul Public Library, winner of the 2016 Top Innovator for Race and Social Equity, advanced its strategies and created a racial equity assessment tool and staff training to address institutional and structural racism. SPPL Director Jane Eastwood will share how the Library has taken a leadership role in a citywide initiative to change community practices and ways of thinking that may unintentionally discriminate in hiring, promotion and services.
Register today to participate and receive a recording to share with staff!
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ULC Supports Kansas City Public Library in Defending Free Speech
On May 9, a
Kansas City Public Library (KCPL) employee and patron were arrested after the patron asked questions regarding U.S.-Israel relations during a public lecture hosted by the library. After a private guard and off-duty police officers grabbed the audience member in an attempt to remove him from the room, KCPL Director of Public Programming Steve Woolfolk intervened to deescalate the situation and preserve the right of audience members to have their voices heard in a public forum. After both men were led out of the lecture hall, Woolfolk was aggressively thrown against a wall (resulting in a torn knee ligament) and both men were arrested on charges of resisting arrest.
As KCPL continues to speak out against the charges in defense of the First Amendment and free speech, ULC stands in support of KCPL and the right of public libraries to facilitate the open exchange of diverse information, ideas and opinions.
Click
here to read the official statement on the arrests from ULC President and CEO Susan Benton. Click
here to learn more about the incident and ongoing case.
Hennepin County Library Receives $1 Million Donation for Literacy Programs
Friends of the Hennepin County Library, the Library's fundraising partner, has received a major investment of $1 million from an individual donor to ensure, enrich, and expand Hennepin County Library's Homework Help and Summer Learning initiatives over the next decade.
The Library met with the donor --- an active library user and and community member --- and her family over the course of several months to ensure that the investment would have the greatest impact on the community. To strengthen their case for investing in the Homework Help and Summer Learning programs, the Library shared research and evidence from ULC's latest leadership brief, Leadership Brief: Libraries Expanding Summer Opportunities, demonstrating the value of library summer opportunities. The leadership brief allowed the Library to showcase how their work aligns with national trends and research, illustrating the connection between their homework help and summer learning programs to create year-round support for students.
"The Leadership Brief moved our presentation from a really well thought out and executed local plan, to a really well thought out and executed local plan that is based in best practices," said Lois Langer Thompson, Director of Hennepin County Library.
Click here to learn more.
Cambridge Public Library and Johnson County Public Library Join ULC
Please join us in welcoming
Cambridge Public Library and
Johnson County Public Library to ULC! We look forward to working with and learning from our new libraries, as well as connecting their work to that of our other members and partners!
ULC Shines a Spotlight on Libraries and Family Learning at NCFL Summit
On Monday, October 17, ULC President and CEO Susan Benton moderated a session and webcast, Libraries + Schools + Communities = Powerful Programming for Family Learning, at the National Center for Families Learning (NCFL) Families Learning Summit in Detroit, Michigan. During the session, Benton, along with a panel of ULC member libraries and their community partners, explored how libraries, schools and community-based organizations work together all year to help families learn together and engage with their communities. The session built on concepts highlighted in the ULC-NCFL publication, Leadership Brief: Libraries Supporting Family Learning, and discussed innovative engagement opportunities for all families using a two-generation, family-focused approach.
We would like to thank ULC members Nicole Robinson, Deputy Assistant Director of Houston Public Library; Kate Schiavi, Youth Services Manager for Louisville Free Public Library; and Ana Marcelo Huerta, Community Program Specialist for San Mateo County Libraries, for contributing to this lively discussion.
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Helping Adults Finally Achieve that High School Diploma
Queens Library expanded its high school equivalency diploma preparations and support services to meet the needs of adults who have struggled to earn their diplomas. In 2013, the Library began providing on-site testing in its Adult Learning Centers to assess readiness for the New York online high school equivalency exam. Based on the readiness results, adult students receive remedial and preparatory tutoring, as well as referrals to social service partners who work with the students.
"By finally finding the support they needed, hundreds of adult learners have achieved their once elusive goal of an HSE diploma and even walked in caps and gowns at a commencement ceremony in front of loved ones - a reminder to all of us of how important it is to invest in and celebrate every stage of growth and accomplishment," said Dennis Walcott, President and CEO of Queens Library.
Click here to learn more about this innovative project and view the complete list of 2016 Innovations.
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Celebrate Lights on Afterschool 2016!
Today marks the 17th annual Lights On Afterschool, the only nationwide event celebrating afterschool programs and their role in keeping kids safe, inspiring them to learn and helping working families. With more than 8,000 events planned in communities across the country, there are plenty of ways for your library to get involved and promote your afterschool programs.
Visit the Lights on Afterschool website to learn more and get involved today!
Showcase your Local Friends Group!
From October 16-22, public libraries and Friends groups are celebrating National Friends of Libraries Week to promote and raise awareness for the work being done year-round in local communities to support and advocate for public libraries.
Click here to learn more about how your library can get involved and recognize your Friends group for their help and support of the library!
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Urban Libraries Council
1333 H Street, NW
Suite 1000 West
Washington, DC 20005
202-750-8650
UrbanLibraries.org
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