Introducing ULC Academy | Launching May 2025

We're excited to unveil ULC Academy, the Urban Libraries Council’s new learning management system, born from member feedback for more formal professional development. ULC Academy will offer accessible, practical training designed to equip library leaders with the skills to excel in today’s evolving landscape. 

Featured Courses 

Managing from the Middle: Branch Managers Certificate Program 

20 Credit Hours | Exclusive Member Rate: $3,000 

This three-month course is designed for new or aspiring branch managers. It focuses on the unique challenges of branch management, from nurturing staff talents to balancing local community needs with broader system priorities. 

Registration Launches May 2025

Urban Libraries Fellows Program

1-Year Leadership Accelerator | $7,500 for 2 Seats 

This year-long accelerator program is built to empower library leaders to drive transformative change. Through immersive coursework, interactive workshops, and personalized coaching led by experts, the Fellows Program equips mid-to-executive professionals with the tools needed to future-proof their institutions and accelerate positive community change. 

Plus, Explore Additional Asynchronous Learning 

Access self-paced courses and an exclusive catalog of members-only webinars on topics like data fluency, entrepreneurship, summer programming, STEM, and more. 

Invest in your professional growth and help your library thrive. The ULC Academy platform will launch in May! In the meantime, explore registration for the ULC Fellows Program now and learn more about our upcoming Branch Managers course!

This National Library Week, it is more important than ever to communicate the true value of our public libraries. The Urban Libraries Council extends our heartfelt thanks to all library staff for the incredible work you do every day. Your dedication, creativity, and commitment to your communities are what make libraries such vital and welcoming spaces. Thank you for everything you do!

New Initiative in Partnership with IREX and WebJunction

Join the New Community of Practice

Public libraries are among the most trusted institutions in the U.S., providing spaces where people of all backgrounds can connect, learn, and build a shared future. Yet, in a time of increasing division, libraries play a crucial role in fostering social trust and civic engagement.

To support this vital work, ULC, IREX, and OCLC’s WebJunction are launching a national coalition of urban, rural, and tribal public libraries. Based on the Bridgebuilding Resource Hub, this initiative will equip library professionals with the tools, strategies, and support they need to bridge divides and strengthen trust in their communities. At the heart of this initiative is the Community of Practice (CoP)—a national network designed to help libraries scale their trust-building efforts, integrate best practices, and measure their impact.

We are seeking dedicated members who can actively participate in shaping the future of trust-building in libraries. Libraries that join the CoP will be asked to:

• Attend regular monthly CoP meetings
• Share periodic updates on their trust and community-building-related work
• Invite multiple representatives from their library community to foster collaboration

By joining, libraries will have the opportunity to connect with peers, access new resources, and receive funding opportunities to enhance their work in building social trust.

ULC Partnership with CTG UAlbany

New Case Study of Schaumburg Township District Library

ULC and the University at Albany’s Center for Technology in Government (CTG UAlbany) are partnering to examine how libraries can empower communities to better understand Artificial Intelligence and ensure its ethical design and application.

As part of this work, a new case study of Schaumburg Township District Library examines the past and current AI programs offered by the library, outlining their benefits to the community, associated costs, and challenges in implementation. Explore the new case study and learn more about this partnership below.

Creating Youth Opportunities Webinar Series

Three-Part Webinar Series | April 22, May 15, June 18

Join us for an engaging three-part webinar series designed to empower every member of your library team—from front-line staff to executive leaders—to better support opportunity youth in your community. Whether you work directly with patrons or help shape strategic initiatives, these webinars will equip you with the knowledge and tools to make a lasting impact on the lives of opportunity youth.

• Teen Brain Development: How Libraries Can Better Serve Teens Through Understanding | April 22 at 3 p.m. ET
• Opportunity Youth: Understanding Our Communities’ Most Vulnerable Teens and How Libraries Can Serve Them | May 15 at 3 p.m. ET
• Library Programs that Help Build Economic Mobility for Youth | June 18 at 3 p.m. ET

Creating a Culture of Belonging Webinar Series

Next Session April 29 | "Building Inclusive Organizations"

In this multi-part webinar series from ULC, experts in the library field will share their insights and progress on the journey to creating a culture of belonging. The webinar series will cover the following topics:

• Building Inclusive Organizations
• Developing Diverse Teams
• Leading Belonging Initiatives
• Commitment and Accountability
• Welcoming the Community Inside and Out

It is almost time again to welcome our young friends back to Summer Learning programs at the library! As you look ahead to your seasonal programs, explore some of ULC's best resources on Summer Learning and the Science of Reading:

Science of Reading Toolkit: Evidence-Based Approaches for Public Libraries

This toolkit from ULC is structured around key components essential for creating impactful youth literacy programs and recommended strategies for your library to take. The toolkit is designed to help public libraries with prioritizing equity, understanding the science of reading, designing community-focused programs, embedding structured literacy elements, and measuring program outcomes.

Building Equity: Amplify Summer Learning Toolkit

As an integral part of the educational ecosystem, public libraries’ summer learning programs play a crucial role in reaching all children, offering spaces, resources and programming to enhance students’ lives and increase the likelihood of future success. The Building Equity: Amplify Summer Learning Toolkit provides methods for libraries to engage every child in high-quality summer learning, emphasizing strategies to center equity, executing effective STEM program design and targeting middle school youth.

ULC's Summer Learning Boot Camp Series

As part of the Building Equity: Amplify Summer Learning initiative, ULC invited members to participate in an informational boot camp series designed to support libraries as they work to amplify equity in summer learning. All sessions of this 4-part webinar series are free and available to view now.

Hartford Public Library

HPL Partners with Influencer Bradley on a Budget @thefabulousbrad: "Everything is better when it’s FREE! Go check out your local library to see what they have to offer!"

Richmond Hill Public Library

"🌎 This Earth Month, let’s rethink how we consume! Why buy when you can borrow?"

Toledo Lucas County Public Library

"Toledo Library staff and volunteers were in Columbus on April 8 for the Ohio Library Council’s annual Legislative Day, meeting with your elected officials and advocating on behalf of Ohio’s public libraries."

Questions? Want to Submit a Story?

Contact ULC's Senior Communications Manager Elise Calanni at ecalanni@urbanlibraries.org.