This Week at ULC
Newsletter | March 17, 2021
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UPDATE ON THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT |
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On March 11, President Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) into law, which includes the $7 billion Emergency Connectivity Fund to support libraries in building connected communities through the FCC's E-Rate program. Earlier this week, the FCC's Wireline Competition Bureau issued a request for comments on the implementation of the Emergency Connectivity Fund, due by April 5.
Beyond the E-Rate and IMLS funding, ARPA includes more than $360 billion in support for state, local and tribal governments, which may offer additional support opportunities for libraries.
Stay tuned to ULC communications for regular updates and resources related to ARPA. To learn more about ARPA and what it might mean for your community, visit:
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UPCOMING ULC WEBINAR MARCH 30 |
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Rethinking Summer Learning to Reverse the "COVID-19 Slide"
San Francisco Public Library, St. Louis Public Library
When COVID-19 hit and San Francisco went into shelter-in-place, San Francisco Public Library had to unplan more than 1,000 public summer programs and contend with the challenge of losing most of its front-line library staff to disaster service work. Also experiencing the uncertainty of the pandemic, St. Louis Public Library was scrambling to find ways to reach its customers and promote summer learning.
Join ULC on March 30 to hear from leaders at San Francisco Public Library and St. Louis Public Library about how they recreated summer learning plans to engage their community, captured data to inform their programming and maintained and developed partnerships to ensure they are reaching those suffering the most inequity during the pandemic.
Featuring:
- Michelle Jeffers, Chief of Community Programs and Partnerships, San Francisco Public Library
- Joe Monahan, Manager of Youth Programs, St. Louis Public Library
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Reimagining Summer Learning During the Pandemic
Click here to discover how other ULC libraries across North America have adapted their summer learning offerings to keep kids, teens and adults learning all summer long.
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Addressing Digital Equity Through a New County Initiative
Columbus Metropolitan Library
An informal “broadband working group” that Columbus Metropolitan Library has been co-leading officially launched to the public last week as the Franklin County Digital Equity Coalition. The initiative includes more than 20 public, private and nonprofit organizations in central Ohio, and the group released a Digital Equity Framework which outlines its priorities and goals. “Because of the pandemic, there is a deeper understanding of the inequity or lack of access for many, as well as real momentum for bringing broadband to all residences, similar to the rural electrification program of the 1930s,” said CEO Patrick Losinski.
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University of Maryland Celebrates Exceptional Black Library Leaders
Prince George's County Memorial Library System
The University of Maryland College of Information Studies recently recognized six exceptional Black alumni from its library and information sciences programs who are helping to reshape the norms of the field. Included in the esteemed group are Michelle Hamiel and Dr. Arthuree R. M. Wright from PGCMLS.
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Michelle Hamiel's seasoned experience, dedication and leadership skills as Chief Operating Officer for Public Services for the past seven years has contributed to some of the library's most high-profile initiatives, including LINK — a program providing library access to all county public school students. Hamiel is helping Maryland libraries navigate equity, diversity, inclusion and anti-racism efforts as she facilitates both the MLA and Maryland State Libraries’ task force for equity and diversity initiatives. Michelle is also a current member of ULC's Anti-Racism action team.
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Dr. Arthuree R. M. Wright is a board member for PGCMLS, retired associate director of information, instruction and resource services at Howard University and a former MIT science ibrarian. Dr. Wright lectured at the UMD iSchool and contributed to the landmark publication, "African American National Biography," with the stories of thousands of Black individuals who have helped to shape our nation. Dr. Wright is the recipient of the 2016 James Partridge Outstanding African American Information Professional Award and the 2018 Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award.
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Expanding Patron Access to Digital Materials
Milton Public Library
Milton Public Library joined the Internet Archive’s Open Libraries program to expand its digital offerings to patrons. In addition to joining Open Libraries, MPL also donated 30,000 books to the Internet Archive. “We've seen overwhelming demand ... [patrons] think it’s a fantastic option for them to have increased materials,” said MPL Chief Executive Officer and Chief Librarian Mark Williams.
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A Design Thinking Approach to Crisis Response
Calgary Public Library
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When COVID-19 disrupted library operations, Calgary Public Library quickly adapted to the impact of the pandemic by focusing on crisis communication, urgent community supports, critical baseline service and staffing and a path to reopening that enabled some locations to open 10 days after the lockdown was lifted.
As a result of this strategic work, the library saw a 33% increase in digital circulation, nearly 120,000 views of library-at-home content and transition to a fine-free system as an urgent community support.
Click here to learn more about this groundbreaking work, which earned Calgary Public Library a Top Innovator distinction for the 2020 ULC Innovations Initiative.
Click here to review all 260 submissions to the 2020 Innovations Initiative.
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Tips from the Innovators
- Formalize a temporary approval structure to accelerate the flow of pilot services. This should complement your crisis communication approval process.
- Assemble a cross-departmental group to define urgent community needs and ideate potential solutions.
- Create form-focused working groups to develop and quickly mobilize select tactics to test and refine.
- When considering implementation, keep in mind both short- and long-term implications to manage capacity, packaging and overlap of services and sustainability. You don’t want to overwhelm staff or the public.
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ENGAGING YOUTH OF ALL AGES IN STEM |
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Algona Public Library, Roanoke County Public Library, San Francisco Public Library
Read one of ULC's latest blog posts to discover how Algona Public Library, Roanoke County Public Library and San Francisco Public Library adapted their STEM programming to keep youth learning, despite the new challenges of COVID-19.
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NEW ON ULC'S MEMBER KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE |
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Salt Lake City Public Library
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ULC Communications and Marketing Leaders
Member Group Conference Call
March 24 | Noon-1 p.m. ET
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Rethinking Summer Learning to Reverse the "COVID-19 Slide"
Webinar
March 30 | 1-2 p.m. ET
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Tools for Middle Grade STEM Success
Webinar
April 22 | 1-2 p.m. ET
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PUBLIC LIBRARIES AND THE PANDEMIC |
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Upcoming Webinar March 22
Combining original research as well as conversations with ULC and our members, New America's report on Public Libraries and the Pandemic: Digital Shifts and Disparities to Overcome takes a look at the essential role, ongoing work and challenges faced by public libraries as digital equity leaders during the pandemic. Unpack the findings in the report during a virtual webinar on March 22 and discover ways libraries are embracing digital shifts that support more equitable access. Featured panelists include Newport News Public Library Acting Director Anita Jennings and Las Vegas-Clark County District Library Director Kelvin Watson.
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Cleveland Public Library
Andre Norton was born Alice May Norton on February 17, 1912, in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1932, she began working for Cleveland Public Library, where she remained for 18 years. In 1934, she legally changed her name to Andre Alice Norton, a pen name she had adopted when she authored her first book, published later that year, to increase her marketability since boys were the main audience for fantasy.
Instagram.com
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