Urban Libraries

Urban Libraries Council, in partnership with the Council of the Great City Schools, will convene a national forum on public libraries expanding access to educational opportunities for K-3rd grade students from low-income communities. The forum will foster conversation among public library leaders, school leaders, local community leaders, and national school networks and national community development organizations that have a shared concern for the educational achievement of low-income children. Together, these leaders will identify areas of opportunity, gaps in knowledge, and strategic school-library-community partnerships that lead to increased access to and attainment of literacy supports and learning opportunities by children most in need of these resources. The Forum will help library, school, and community leaders identify on-going strategies, local partnerships, and resources to ensure early-grade children from low-income communities receive literacy supports and learning opportunities available via public libraries. The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading will serve as a strategic advisor on the project.