2024 ULC Annual Leadership Forum Registration Now Open

October 23-25, 2024 | Philadelphia, PA

Registration for ULC’s annual leadership conference for senior library professionals is now open! The 2024 Urban Libraries Council Annual Leadership Forum will gather library leaders from across the United States and Canada and take place in Philadelphia, PA, from October 23 to 25. We hope to see you there. 

Over three days of programming, attendees will learn from leading experts and engage with one another around the pivotal theme of Trust, Transformation and Tomorrow. Whether you are a library executive, deputy director, communications chief, head of HR, fundraiser, or other senior leader, we know these three factors are key to addressing crucial aspects of organizational change and growth for urban public libraries. 

Thank you to all those who have registered for the 2024 ULC Annual Leadership Forum so far! We're excited to have attendee representation from these libraries:

ULC's 2024 Innovations Initiative closes in just 9 days! Members have until 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, August 9th to share your libraries' out-of-the-box thinking and successful programs that are the best of the best. Join a class of exceptional libraries dating back to 2010 that have revolutionized the library field!

We want to recognize library programs, initiatives and transformative ideas that launched between January 1, 2023 and May 31, 2024 – 16 full months of opportunities that could win an Innovation Award! 

Honorees will not only receive a physical award and be featured in ULC-led media opportunities, but the Top Innovators in each category will receive one complimentary registration to the 2024 ULC Annual Leadership Forum, taking place in Philadelphia, PA, from October 23 to 25.

Implications of Science of Reading Laws for Libraries  

Written by ULC Senior Advisor in Educational Equity Liz McChesney

As public awareness of the Science of Reading and its educational practice of structured literacy gains momentum, states are enacting policies regarding using evidence-backed strategies for reading instruction. In states like Ohio and Mississippi, policies that emphasize early literacy skills and reading proficiency for Kindergarten through 3rd Graders, have been on the books for more than a decade and are showing progress. Now, as Education Week reported earlier this year, 38 states and the District of Columbia have passed laws or implemented new policies related to evidence-based reading instruction since 2013. 

The implications of this for public libraries are enormous.  

Libraries are not just bystanders, but integral parts of the literacy ecosystem, with the potential to help re-engage school districts through our collections, services and programs related to structured literacy.  

Public library professionals can leverage services and resources that amplify the Science of Reading through adding decodable books for new readers to collections, implementing professional development for staff, creating community engagement programs that support parents/caregivers, and increasing attention to school district and educator collaborations.  

To learn more about states and their policy updates regarding reading instruction, visit the National Council on Teacher Quality, the Education Commission of the States, the Reading League, and the National Institute for Early Education Research. 

ULC's Science of Reading work is generously supported by:

FCC Adopts $200 Million Cybersecurity Pilot Program for Schools and Libraries

Federal Communications Commission

After approval last month, the Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday announced the details of a new, three-year pilot program to help schools and libraries strengthen their cybersecurity measures and combat increasingly frequent cyberattacks. The new program is separate from the commission’s E-Rate program, which provides subsidies for internet service and devices.

The Schools and Libraries Cybersecurity Pilot Program will provide up to $200 million in funding from the Universal Service Fund, a federal fund that helps low-income communities access telecommunications services at lower rates, to help schools and libraries across the country better protect their broadband networks and data. The FCC’s pilot program will reimburse participants for a wide range of cybersecurity services and equipment, including firewalls and endpoint protection platforms.

The FCC said applications will open on August 29, 2024.

Summer Reading Adventure

National Book Foundation

Join our friends at the National Book Foundation to celebrate 75 years of the National Book Awards and participate in the Summer Reading Adventure! The Reading Adventure is a free, prize-filled extravaganza for adults to discover, or re-discover, the joy of reading. Watch a book-to-screen adaptation, re-read a favorite childhood book, swap a favorite book with a friend, and more. Submit your Summer Reading Adventure card by mail or online by August 31, 2024 to be entered to win books, hats, ice cream, reusable water bottles, and other prizes. Participants that complete all of the activities will be entered to win the grand prize of airfare, hotel, and two tickets to the 75th National Book Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, November 20, 2024. All participants will automatically receive discount codes from Bookshop.org and Libro.fm.

Visit nationalbook.org/adventure to learn more, and tag @nationalbookfoundation when you share your bookish adventures for a chance to be featured on the Foundation’s Instagram. Join the Summer Reading Adventure today!

Questions? Want to Submit a Story?

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