WEDNESDAY, October 26, 2016
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EVENTS
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

Andrea Blackman
Special Collections Division Manager, 
Nashville Public Library 
Jane Eastwood
Director,
Saint Paul Public Library 
Kent Oliver,
Director,
Nashville Public Library

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 Award 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!  
MEMBER NEWS
ULC Member Survey Highlights Library Outreach to Low-Income K-3rd Grade Children 

In August, ULC distributed a survey to member libraries to gather information about library programs that are specifically aimed at improving the reading proficiency of low-income, K-3rd grade students. The survey, completed by 92 ULC member libraries, is part of the field scan for a project focusing on how libraries can better reach struggling, low-income young students and provide programs to improve their reading skills.

Among the initial findings, survey results show that a large majority of responding libraries (82 percent) have one or more programs specifically aimed at improving the reading proficiency of low-income K-3rd grade students. Collectively, those programs serve more than 400,000 students annually, and nearly 80 percent are connected to state education standards, grade-level school achievement, and/or community-wide education programs. The survey also found that collaboration with school districts, individual schools, and teachers is vital to identifying and engaging these students. More than 86 percent of responding libraries identified coordination with schools and school districts as a primary outreach method, and 64 percent said they work with individual schools to identify students who need assistance and/or design programs.

Thank you to all ULC members that completed the survey and contributed to this project!

Click here to view a list of highlights from the member survey.



Chicago Public Library, Chicago Housing Authority Partner to Build Mixed-Use Developments

On October 21, Chicago Public Library and the Chicago Housing Authority announced a new interagency partnership to co-locate libraries with three new mixed-income housing developments. According to city officials, co-locating libraries with affordable housing will strengthen neighborhoods with community anchors that provide residents with more opportunities for lifelong learning and spaces to engage with one another. 

As part of the project, a planned senior development will house a library on the ground floor to replace the Northtown branch library. Two other mixed-income housing developments with co-located libraries are also planned for the Near West Side and Irving Park communities.

Click here to read the full press release.


 
ULC, NSLA Lead Engaging Pre-Conference Session at the National Conference on Afterschool and Summer Learning   

On Monday, ULC and the National Summer Learning Association (NSLA) co-hosted a pre-conference session, Expanding Access to Opportunity: Library-School-Community Partnerships for Summer Learning, at NSLA's National Conference on Afterschool and Summer Learning in Seattle, Washington. This interactive session featured panel discussions and presentations from Emily Samose, ULC Director of Education and Learning Initiatives; Leslie Gabay-Swanston, NSLA's Director of Community System Building; and ULC education leaders from Denver Public Library (DPL), Edmonton Public Library (EPL), and King County Library System (KCLS).

A broad range of participants, from school and local government officials to library and national non-profit leaders, worked in groups to explore tools and strategies being used to build and strengthen summer learning partnerships, and consider how these tools may be adapted in their communities. The session built on ideas highlighted in Leadership Brief: Libraries Expanding Summer Opportunities, a publication based on the Accelerate Summer research conducted by ULC and NSLA with funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

We would like to thank ULC members Ann Schwab, DPL Senior Librarian; Tamara Van Biert, Manager of EPL's Castle Downs Branch library; and Larence Wawro, KCLS Children's Librarian, for sharing their successes and expertise in this engaging session.
 
SPOTLIGHT ON INNOVATION
We Have the Hots for You


A focus on automatic "Hot" services in an increasingly digital environment has made access to The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County even more convenient and customer friendly. The library offers automatic "Hot" holds so that customers don't have to monitor the availability of the newest print collections, eBooks, eAudiobooks and DVDs. The library also offers a variety of other "Hot" services that emphasize automatic access, provide personalized staff recommendations and deliver items to the customer's favorite location.

"Delivering the items a cardholder wants in a convenient way strengthens the personal relationship between the cardholder and our library," said Kim Fender, Director of The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. "It cements the image in our cardholder's minds that our library is a place to get what they want, when they want it, without hassle."

Click here to learn more about this innovative project and view the complete list of 2016 Innovations.
LIBRARY NEWS
U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services Release Joint Policy Brief on Use of Technology with Young Children

The U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services recently released a policy brief on the use of technology with early learners to help families and early educators implement active, meaningful and socially interactive learning. The Early Learning and Educational Technology Policy Brief provides four guiding principles on the use of technology with young children, highlights further topics of research and encourages the development of research-based technology products.

Click here to read the full press release.



Delaware Libraries Support Small Businesses with New Online Platform
 
The Delaware Division of Libraries recently entered into a new partnership to create a web portal that makes business registration available directly from the state for the first time. The new service makes corporate filings faster and more accessible for small businesses by allowing residents to complete the task online or at a Delaware public library with help from trained librarians. The online platform positions Delaware libraries as critical hubs for entrepreneurship and economic development.

Click here to learn more. 
SOCIAL MEDIA
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