This Week at ULC
Newsletter | January 26, 2022
NEW ULC RESOURCE: BUSINESS VALUE CALCULATOR
Business Value Calculator
ULC's newest member resource — the Business Value Calculator — was developed specifically for public libraries to measure, quantify and communicate the impact of their business services to their local communities. Members are able to use the new resource right now, and the results are staggering. Even with changes imposed by the pandemic, ULC member Pima County Public Library was able to provide over $1.3 million in value to their local business economy in 2021.

Developed by ULC’s Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses Action Team and inspired by St. Louis County Library’s Small Business Value Calculator, the new Business Value Calculator is now available to all ULC library members as part of the ULC Member Hub.
ULC WEBINAR ON ANTI-RACISM
February 2022 Webinar
Finding Our Way Forward Together: Libraries Taking Action as Anti-Racist Leaders
February 8 | 2 p.m. ET

There is no shortcut or easy solution for ensuring racial justice in our communities. All library leaders must own the challenge and impact of enduring racism, acknowledge their own biases and use their leadership to dismantle structural racism.

ULC presents the second convening of Finding Our Way Forward Together: Advancing Libraries as Anti-Racist Leaders series. This virtual event continues the vital conversation about the steps public libraries are taking to create equitable and inclusive institutions and serves as a reminder that libraries do not have to travel this journey alone. They can learn from one another, building stronger ties and uniting in collective action to move forward together as anti-racist leaders.

We invite you to join library leaders from across North America for this critical conversation with CEOs and members of the ULC Anti-Racism action team on Tuesday, February 8 at 2 p.m. ET. Featured panelists include Jennie Pu (Director, Hoboken Public Library), Pamela McCarter (Equity Initiative Leader/Library Outreach Specialist, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library) and Alison McKee (County Librarian, Contra Costa County Library), who will lead the discussion and share insights from their libraries’ anti-racism journeys. Participants will engage with these leaders and learn key approaches to creating opportunities and navigating challenges in pursuit of a more just and equitable society.

Registration is free for ULC members.
CELEBRATE ULC'S TOP INNOVATORS
2021 Innovations
Our 2021 ULC Innovations Celebration honoring top public library innovators was a huge success! Thank you to everyone who attended and congratulations to all of our ULC member libraries who submitted the most diverse entries yet.
Rewatch the Celebration

This year’s virtual program showcased special video highlights along with a retrospective video look at past winners and celebrations. Attendees heard from Innovations Celebration supporter, Pamela Smith, of Ingram Content Group with a welcome from ULC’s President and CEO, Susan Benton.
The Award-Winning Top Innovators and Honorable Mentions include:

Anti-Racism, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
  • Top Innovator: Dallas Public Library | Budgeting for Equity
  • Honorable Mention: Cleveland Public Library | Prioritizing Supplier Diversity

Civic and Community Engagement
  • Top Innovator: San Antonio Public Library | Enhanced Library Card
  • Honorable Mention: Baltimore County Public Library | Mobile Library Law Center

Communicating the Library’s Value
  • Top Innovator: Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library | Spend a Day with a Library Worker!
  • Honorable Mention: Edmonton Public Library | Mâmawô Ayâwin

Customer Experience
  • Top Innovator: Vaughan Public Libraries | Surprise Me! Bundles
  • Honorable Mention: Las Vegas-Clark County Library District | Bringing the Library to Transit Riders

Digital Equity and Citizenship
  • Top Innovator: Nashville Public Library | Telehealth for Older Adults
  • Honorable Mention: Charlotte Mecklenburg Library | MeckTech Connect - Community Internet Network

Education - Birth Thru Teens
  • Top Innovator: Toledo Lucas County Public Library | Never Too Early: Reading in the NICU
  • Honorable Mention: Stark Library | Reimagining Summer at Your Library

Education - Adults
  • Top Innovator: San José Public Library | Caregiver Support Network
  • Honorable Mention: Sonoma County Library | Virtual Adult Literacy Tutor Training

Institutional Change and Strategic Management
  • Top Innovator: Kent District Library | Project Management Office for Strategy and ROI
  • Honorable Mention: Chesterfield County Public Library | KPI’s for Staff Freedom and Performance

Wellness, Safety and Sustainability
  • Top Innovator: Prince William Public Libraries | Resilient and Responsible Communities
  • Honorable Mention: Queens Public Library | Black Health and Healing 24-Hour Virtual Summit

Workforce and Economic Development
  • Top Innovator: Prince George’s County Memorial Library System | Creating a Workforce Development Ecosystem
  • Honorable Mention: San Diego Public Library | Library Workforce Partnership Initiative
We give a special thanks to Ingram Content Group for sponsoring the 2021 ULC Innovations Celebration and providing ULC members with new and useful tools for the field.
MEMBER NEWS ROUNDUP
Awesome Authors
Launching Young Authors Contest
Ottawa Public Library

Ottawa Public Library debuted its annual Awesome Authors Contest, where children and youth can submit a work of writing in categories like comics and short stories. Local authors will host writing workshops and winners will have the opportunity to be published in the annual anthology produced by the Friends of the Ottawa Public Library called Potpourri.
C. Davida Ingram
Creating Community Connections in Seattle
Seattle Public Library

During the pandemic, Seattle Public Library Public Engagement Programs Manager C. Davida Ingram worked with local artists and community partners to produce a series of events focused on public health. Ingram devised new ways for artists to thrive during a challenging time. “When the pandemic began, one of the first things I learned was that artists lost over a million dollars in revenue; and that was such a staggering statistic,” said Ingram. 
News Literacy Week
Celebrating National News Literacy Week
Kansas City Public Library

This week, KCPL information specialists are helping patrons find and understand knowledge in celebration of National News Literacy week. Special events focused on democracy, disinformation and distrust are planned, including three virtual “lunch and learn” presentations with local journalists.
UPCOMING MEMBER EVENTS
ULC EDI Officers
Member Group Call
January 27 | 2-3 p.m. ET
ULC Development Professionals
Member Group Call
February 2 | 4-5 p.m. ET
ULC Collections
Member Group Call
February 3 | 2-3 p.m. ET
ULC HR Professionals
Member Group Call
February 7 | 3-4 p.m. ET
Finding Our Way Forward Together: Libraries Taking Action as Anti-Racist Leaders
Webinar
February 8 | 2-3 p.m. ET
ULC Analytics and Tech Leaders
Member Group Call
February 10 | 2-3 p.m. ET
ULC Communications and Marketing Leaders
Member Group Call
February 16 | Noon-1 p.m. ET
NEW RESOURCES ON ULC'S MEMBER KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE
Explore new resources in the ULC Member Knowledge Exchange
Workplace Issues Map
Toledo Lucas County Public Library
Job Description: Librarian IV
New Haven Free Public Library

De-Escalation Training
Deputy Directors Listserv Discussion
CHANGING THE WORLD ONE WORD AT A TIME
Jacqueline Woodson
Anti-Defamation Read Aloud and Conversation with Jacqueline Woodson
February 9 | 4 p.m. ET

Join the Anti-Defamation League on Wednesday, February 9 for a special “Read Aloud and Conversation.” Tune in to hear from New York Times best-selling author Jacqueline Woodson, author of dozens of books for young readers and the recipient of a 2020 MacArthur Fellowship. Her New York Times bestselling memoir, Brown Girl Dreaming, won the National Book Award, as well as the Coretta Scott King Award, a Newbery Honor and the NAACP Image Award. 
ULTS NATIONAL FORUM RECRUITMENT
Urban Librarians Unite
Help build community focused solutions to library work place trauma. The Urban Library Trauma Study is looking for participants for their Forum in March. The Forum is the last stage of the research on the Urban Library Trauma Study where all of the research comes together.
NOW TRENDING ON SOCIAL
Central Arkansas Nature
Central Arkansas Library System

Arkansas is the Natural State, but what does that mean? In 2022, Central Arkansas Library System will offer monthly events exploring native wildlife, natural landscapes, local plants and seeds and resource management.
JOIN OUR ULC TEAM
We are looking for talented professionals to join our ULC team!

ULC’s Communications Manager will help our team implement communications and outreach efforts with internal and external stakeholders. The communications manager will work closely with ULC’s senior leadership team to raise the profile of how public libraries are addressing critical issues in local communities. Click here to apply >.

ULC’s National Program Manager will help collaborate on initiatives across ULC’s strategic focus areas to help public libraries lead education, strengthen digital equity and build healthy, sustainable communities through innovation. Click here to apply >.
Questions?

Contact ULC's Director of Communications Paul Negron at pnegron@urbanlibraries.org.