THURSDAY, September 29, 2016
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EVENTS
Webinar: Getting an Edge in the Digital Age 
Thursday, September 29, 2016 | 2:00-3:00 pm ET 

ULC is launching a new collaborative effort among ULC member libraries to highlight how technology ----  one of the library's most valuable resources ----  supports strong communities.

Join us for an informational webinar to learn more about Edge, the nationally recognized management tool that empowers libraries to assess and improve public technologies. Using Edge, our profession's new leadership tool, we plan to tell our collective technology story to elevate what libraries do to support strong local economies and meet community needs around education, jobs, and health.

This webinar is available only to ULC members and will discuss how Edge works, the benefits of participation, as well as answer any questions you may have about joining the ULC Member Edge Collaborative. 

Click here to learn more!



ULC and Edge on the Road this Fall! 

ULC's Director of Education and Learning Initiatives and the Edge team will be hitting the road to share how public libraries are leading partnerships and initiatives in education, technology and other critical services, to strengthen their communities.

Featured Event 
National Webcast: Libraries + Schools + Communities = Powerful Programming for Family Learning
Monday, October 17, 2016 | 11:00 am-12:15 pm ET

This featured session at the National Center for Families Learning (NCFL) Families Learning Summit will showcase how libraries, schools and community-based organizations work together all year to help families learn together and engage with their communities using a two-generation, family-focused approach. Find out how public library leaders, school leaders and partners in three communities are providing opportunities for families to learn and serve together throughout the year via Family Service Learning and digital- and Maker- influenced blended learning approaches. This session is sponsored by Better World Books and builds on concepts highlighted in the recently published Leadership Brief: Libraries Supporting Family Learning.

Register here to join the live webcast online. For more information on the webcast and the upcoming Families Learning Summit, click here.

Check out the full lineup of conference sessions we are leading in the coming months to help public libraries position themselves as innovative and integral community leaders!



2016 ULC Annual Forum 
ULC Libraries: Getting to the Evidence
October 5-7, 2016
Kansas City Marriott Downtown - Kansas City, MO
 
The 2016 ULC Annual Forum is just one week away and we are excited to make Kansas City the destination for library innovators and leaders from across the United States and Canada. This year's Annual Forum promises to be our biggest yet, providing you the opportunity to connect with and learn from 285 ULC colleagues.

The Annual Forum will feature engaging presentations from experts both within and outside the library field, spotlights on cutting-edge member programs, and productive working group conversations to help you build your "evidence" skills.

Visit the Annual Forum website for more information on the hotel, transportation options, full agenda, and speakers!
MEMBER NEWS
ULC Releases New Online Toolkit for Expanding Library Summer Learning 
 
ULC is excited to announce the release of Libraries at the Center of Summer Learning and Fun: An Online Toolkit to Expand from Summer Reading to Summer Learning!

Building on ideas shared in our latest leadership brief, Libraries Expanding Summer Opportunities, this online toolkit gathers resources and "how-to" examples from ULC members that library practitioners can use to complement summer reading with active skill building, creative exploration, and critical thinking activities.

This online resource guide was developed in partnership with the National Summer Learning Association (NSLA) as a part of the Accelerate Summer initiative supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

Heading to Seattle for the National Conference on Afterschool and Summer Learning? Register for the ULC-NSLA pre-conference, Expanding Access to Opportunity: Library-School-Community Partnerships for Summer Learning, to learn about the tools and practices that libraries use to establish and manage local summer learning partnerships.


 
ULC Libraries Awarded IMLS Funding for Library Innovation  

Earlier this week, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) announced its latest round of grant funding for 2016. Among the list of grantees, ULC members Hartford Public Library (HPL) and Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) received National Leadership Grants, and Denver Public Library (DPL) received a Sparks! Ignition Grant. Both National Leadership Grant projects will focus on educating and empowering young people in their communities; HPL will develop an interdisciplinary curriculum to help immigrant and refugee youth learn and connect with their community, while BPL's BKLYN Link program will enhance broadband access and establish youth fellowships in low-income communities. DPL will use their new funding to develop ten months of programming to support and enrich the lives of adults experiencing poverty and homelessness.

Montgomery County Public Libraries (MCPL) will also collaborate with George Mason University and the KID Museum as part of IMLS's new STEMeX Grant Initiative, which funds projects to study public programs delivered by STEM experts to children and families in museum and library settings. MCPL's project will identify design principles for projects that combine STEM experts and making activities.

Click here to learn more about the National Leadership Grant and Sparks! Ignition Grant programs. Click here to learn more about MCPL and the STEMeX Grant Initiative. 
LIBRARY NEWS
New Senate Bill Seeks to Enhance Support for America's Libraries and Museums

On Friday, September 23, Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Susan Collins (R-ME), Thad Cochran (R-MS) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) introduced a bipartisan bill to renew the federal government's $230 million commitment to the federal museum and library programs administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

The bill recognizes the public library's role as a critical hub for meeting the civic, educational and workforce development needs of communities. The bill will enhance IMLS's collaborative efforts with an expanded number of federal agencies and provide technical support and assistance to help libraries collect and analyze data. It will also focus on diversifying the library field through recruitment, funding, and professional development opportunities for libraries and individuals from a broad range of library types, underrepresented backgrounds and geographic locations.

Click here to read the full press release from Senator Reed.


 
Learn How Libraries Demonstrate Community Impact with ULC Knowledge Center

This year's ULC Annual Forum will focus on how ULC libraries are "getting to the evidence" and what better way to prepare for this exciting event than to see how your colleagues are working to demonstrate their community impact?

Gear up for the Annual Forum by visiting the ULC Knowledge Center to view some of the latest return-on-investment (ROI) studies from leading ULC libraries such as Calgary Public Library and Nashville Public Library. Simply search "ROI" or click on the "Administrative" topic to view the latest resources and reports from your peers.



Don't Miss USAC's Weekly E-rate Conference Calls!

Stay up-to-date on the latest E-rate news by joining the Universal Service Administrative Company's (USAC) weekly calls for ULC members every Tuesday from 2:30 - 3:00 pm ET. USAC is hosting these calls to hear about E-rate issues that libraries are facing in the field.

Please email USAC any question or topic you would like added to the agenda by noon on the Friday before the call. If no agenda is received and USAC does not have a demonstration to share, the call for that week will be cancelled. 

For call details and call-in information, please contact Katherine Behrens. 
SOCIAL MEDIA
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Urban Libraries Council
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