Urban Libraries

Urban Libraries Council (ULC) will explore new approaches for public libraries and local governments to align activities, frameworks, metrics, and partnerships to reach disadvantaged and underserved communities. ULC seeks to help public libraries advance community equity in a focused, coordinated, and strategic way in partnership with local government. During the planning grant, ULC will conduct a model and literature review to identify and document current local government approaches to addressing race and social equity issues. This will include a review of existing frameworks, language, metrics, evaluation strategies, and methodologies, as well as identifying the local government departments that are responsible for these efforts. This work also will look at how public libraries are currently represented in frameworks and their role in the ecosystem of organizations that are addressing equity issues. A working group of 15 to 20 library leaders and local government organizations will identify potential strategies and methodologies for leveraging library assets to support local government equity initiatives. A concept paper will guide development of a larger initiative and inform communication strategies for conveying the value of libraries as equity partners.