This Week at ULC
Newsletter | May 25, 2022
NEW ULC RESOURCE: STUDENT SUCCESS ACCELERATOR
This week, ULC launched our newest member resource — the Student Success Accelerator — an interactive map that showcases public libraries across the United States that are pioneering a national approach that for the first time brings local elected officials, school and library executives together and their collective resources for student learning in and outside the classroom.
"A library card is an entrance key. Libraries big and small, urban and rural are places for exploring the world beyond your neighborhood, discovering new information and ideas in a safe place with caring adults. Schools and libraries that are partnering on library card distribution are expanding beyond this success to collaborate on things like STEM programming, curated materials to match the school curriculum and direct support of teachers in the classroom.”

— Susan Benton, ULC President & CEO 
The Student Success Accelerator is an outcome of the Leaders Library Card Challenge, a national effort to have local leaders working together to get a library card into every student's hand. The map identifies schools and libraries that are succeeding, and the almost six million students that now have a library card.

Along with the Urban Libraries Council, the Georgia Public Library Service and the Pacific Library Partnership in California are working with local leaders in their state and region to initiate the Leaders Library Card Challenge and partnerships that empower children throughout their education journey. ULC encourages more statewide and regional initiatives to pursue partnerships which help communities achieve greater educational success for the children they serve.
BUSINESS VALUE CALCULATOR CHALLENGE
The Business Value Calculator Challenge is ON!
 
We have extended the ULC 2022 Business Value Calculator Challenge through June 10. The ULC Business Value Calculator enables your library staff to calculate the dollar value of services that you provide to local entrepreneurs and small businesses. Once we aggregate the totals from the challenge, we will share an announcement that showcases what leading urban libraries are doing across North America to strengthen their local economies.

We know the number will be big because we already have totals for the following libraries:

  • Los Angeles County Library (Calif.) | $293 million
  • Mid-Continent Public Library (Mo.) | $22.3 million
  • St. Louis County Library (Mo.) | $20 million
  • East Baton Rouge Parish Library (La.) | $4 million
  • Brampton Library (Ont.) | $3.2 million
  • Prince George’s County Memorial Library System (Md.) | $2.5 million
  • Pima County Public Library (Ariz.) | $2 million
  • Jersey City Free Public Library (N.J.) | $1.3 million
  • Greensboro Public Library (N.C.) | $815,000
 
Still need inspiration? Read ULC’s latest blog post on Do Space’s calculated value of $450,000 to the Omaha business community.
 
Join the Challenge Now!
 
  1. Accept the 2022 Business Value Calculator Challenge today by signing up here.
  2. Access the Business Value Calculator on the ULC Knowledge Exchange.
  3. Look to ULC’s support resources for assistance, including watching our Overview Webinar or exploring our User GuideCommunications Guide and Methodology Guide. The Methodology Guide is provides detailed information on how we derived dollar values used in the calculator and alternatives for developing localized values for your library.
  4. Reach out to ULC’s Betsey Suchanic ([email protected]) with any questions you or your team may have. 
  5. Stay tuned for our announcement highlighting the economic value of public libraries to business communities across North America.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP COHORT CELEBRATION
Entrepreneurship Cohort Celebrates Four Years!
Urban Libraries Council
In May 2018, ULC launched the Strengthening Libraries as Entrepreneurial Hubs initiative in collaboration with the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation to strengthen the role public libraries play in nurturing and promoting entrepreneurship in their communities.


Over the past four years, cohort libraries have worked hard to leverage and develop the library’s unique assets and capacities to create hubs for entrepreneurship and advance equity and community economic health by increasing support for all entrepreneurs and particularly women, people of color, immigrants and veterans. Earlier this week, cohort members celebrated the completion of their work.

Included below are resources related to the work of the Entrepreneurship cohort.
Closing the Entrepreneurship Gap: Tools for Libraries
This toolkit offers strategies and resources to help libraries level-up as entrepreneurial hubs, including navigating a post-COVID world.

Leadership Brief: Strengthening Libraries as Entrepreneurial Hubs
This Leadership Brief focuses on the public library’s role as an essential resource for entrepreneurs and core component of local entrepreneurial ecosystems.

#ULCchat Recap: Supporting Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses
Designed to raise awareness of the critical role of libraries in supporting local entrepreneurs and small businesses during the COVID-19 outbreak, this Twitter chat asked ULC’s followers to respond to a series of thought-provoking questions over the course of an hour.

Understanding Our Business Value in Omaha
Explore how Do Space, the nation's first technology library, used ULC's Business Value Calculator to estimate the impact of their business services in our latest ULC blog post written by Do Space Library Director Angela McGraw.

PROPOSED EXECUTIVE BOARD SLATE
The ULC Executive Board has proposed a slate of board members for 2022-2023. ULC members will be asked to vote on the slate on Sunday, June 26, at the ULC Annual Member Breakfast taking place during the 2022 ALA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C.
MEMBER NEWS ROUNDUP
Earns Autism Friendly Business Certification
Palm Beach County Library System

Palm Beach County Library System was recently honored with an Autism Friendly Business certification! This certificate was awarded by the Florida Atlantic University Center for Autism & Related Disabilities to businesses whose 70% of staff members completed training to understand the sensitivity about autism and related disabilities. Library Director Doug Crane said, “Our libraries strive to connect communities, inspire thought and enrich lives. We reach out to underserved or forgotten communities and the Autism community is one that we focus on because of the large number of people are affected by this condition. We are very proud to be recognized as an Autism Friendly Business.”
Hosting Three Exhibitions at Art Gallery
Regina Public Library

Regina Public Library has three exciting exhibitions available for patrons at Dunlop Art Gallery, which presents contemporary art, performance and programming in the library. In My Skin, curated by Wendy Peart, brings together diverse feminist artists who dare to self-determine what it means to live in their own bodies. Lovesick / Homesick, curated by Christina Hajjar highlights films made by Southwest Asian and North African filmmakers. Lastly, The Salt, the Milk, the Donkey, the Honey, the Folk Singers, curated by Tomas Jonsson, depicts pictures of the trade economy and notes about a slow performance.
Celebrating AAPI Heritage Month
Skokie Public Library

To honor Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Skokie Public Library is providing a list of resources for patrons to engage with, such as why AAPI history matters and deconstructing Asian American Stereotypes. The library also wrote a blog documenting Asian-American history in Skokie.
ULC MEMBER BREAKFAST | JUNE 26
Join Colleagues at ULC's Member Breakfast
June 26, 2022 | Washington, D.C.

ULC members are invited to a breakfast and discussion in Washington D.C. on Sunday, June 26. Please join us to connect with ULC peers and learn about ULC’s 2022 work and focus.
SAVE THE DATE! ULC ANNUAL FORUM
2022 ULC Annual Forum
November 16-18, 2022
DC Public Library, Washington, D.C.

This November, the 2022 ULC Forum will convene our member community in Washington, D.C. Details and registration information are forthcoming!
UPCOMING MEMBER EVENTS
ULC EDI Officers
Member Group Call
May 26 | 2-3 p.m. ET
ULC Customer Experience Leaders
Member Group Call
May 26 | 3-4 p.m. ET
ULC Analytics and Tech Leaders
Member Group Call
June 9 | 2-3 p.m. ET
ULC Member Breakfast
Member Breakfast
June 26 | 8:30-10 a.m. ET
NEW RESOURCES IN ULC'S MEMBER KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE
2021 Community Report
Kent District Library

Administration Organization Chart
Contra Costa County Library

Job Description: Chief Diversity Officer
Milton Public Library

NOW TRENDING ON SOCIAL
El Paso Public Library

El Paso Public Library will soon open a section themed “Every Story Matters,” dedicated to banned books and advocating for inclusion within the community.
From left to right: Tandra Turner, Cleveland Public Library ED Felton Thomas, Jr. and Cuyahoga Housing CEO Jeffery Patterson

Cleveland Public Library

ULC presented at the Housing Is Summit, discussing housing authority and public library partnerships.
URBAN LIBRARIANSHIP CONFERENCE JULY 14
The second Library 2.022 mini-conference: "Urban Librarianship: Embracing Challenges and Opportunities through Innovation, Leadership, and Best Practices," will be held online (and for free) on Thursday, July 14, 2022. This event is hosted by Library 2.0 and co-founded by The School of Information at San José State University, and this year features organizational help from Michael Lambert, City Librarian for the City and County of San Francisco. 

Keynote speakers will include:
  • Michael Lambert, City Librarian, San Francisco Public Library
  • Chris Brown, Commissioner, Chicago Public Library
  • Lessa Kanani'opua Pelayo-Lozada, Adult Services Assistant Manager, Palos Verdes Library District
  • Dr. Rhea Lawson, Executive Director, Houston Public Library
  • Kelvin Watson, Executive Director, Las Vegas-Clark County Library District

Session proposals are now being accepted. Registration is free, and full recordings will be made available to all who register after the event.
Questions?

Contact ULC's Director of Communications Paul Negron at [email protected].