Urban Libraries Council

URBAN LIBRARIES COUNCIL WILL BUILD PROGRAMS AND PARTNERSHIPS THAT WILL RESULT IN GREATER AVAILABILITY OF STEM LEARNING PROGRAMS FOR LOW-INCOME MIDDLE SCHOOL YOUTH. THE PROJECT SEEKS TO ENCOURAGE PUBLIC LIBRARIES TO PROMOTE STEM EQUITY AND EXTEND TEEN PROGRAMS TO THE TWEEN YEARS, AND IT WILL HIGHLIGHT TO POLICY AND DECISION MAKERS THE OPPORTUNITY AND IMPACT OF LIBRARY-SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS FOR STEM LEARNING. IT WILL RESULT AN ONLINE RESOURCE GUIDE FOR LIBRARY PRACTITIONERS AND THEIR LOCAL PARTNERS WITH CASE STUDIES OF PILOT PROJECTS, AS WELL AS A WEBINAR SERIES TO HELP LIBRARY-SCHOOL PARTNERS ADOPT EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES. IN ADDITION TO SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF PILOT LIBRARY-SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS THAT IMPLEMENT COMPLEMENTARY STEM PROGRAMS, THE PROJECT AIMS TO DOCUMENT LEARNINGS AND BEST PRACTICES.

THIS PROJECT IS DESIGNED AS A PILOT TO DEMONSTRATE THE VALUE OF LIBRARY-BARBERSHOP PARTNERSHIPS IN ADDRESSING LITERACY RATES IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. THE URBAN LIBRARIES COUNCIL WILL PARTNER WITH BARBERSHOP BOOKS TO BUILD AND SUPPORT A NETWORK OF 40 BARBERSHOPS AND FOUR PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEMS TO PROVIDE EFFECTIVE AND COMMUNITY-BASED LITERACY SERVICES FOR UNDERSERVED CHILDREN. PROJECT OUTCOMES WILL INCLUDE INCREASED ACCESS FOR CHILDREN TO INFLUENTIAL ADULTS WHO CAN INSPIRE AND ENCOURAGE OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME READING AND POSITIVE ATTITUDES TOWARD READING; INCREASED AWARENESS AMONG LIBRARIES OF THE VALUE OF EMPLOYING A CULTURALLY AUTHENTIC APPROACH IN ENGAGING UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES; INCREASED INVOLVEMENT OF LOCAL LEADERS WHO CAN INFLUENCE AND EXPAND LITERACY EFFORTS; STRENGTHENED CAPACITY FOR LIBRARIES TO BE A MAJOR FACTOR IN REDUCING READING OPPORTUNITY AND ACHIEVEMENT GAPS; THE DEMONSTRATION OF SCALABLE MODELS FOR LIBRARY-BARBERSHOP COLLABORATIONS; AND A SET OF RESOURCES INCLUDING A DRAFT FRAMEWORK FOR LIBRARIES AS LITERACY EQUITY LEADERS.

THE URBAN LIBRARIES COUNCIL, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NATIONAL SUMMER LEARNING ASSOCIATION AND THE NATIONAL RECREATION AND PARK ASSOCIATION, WILL ENHANCE AND SCALE FIELD ADOPTION OF MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) PROGRAMS TO ADVANCE EQUITY-FOCUSED MODELS FOR SUMMER LEARNING. THIS IS THE SECOND PHASE OF A PROJECT TO TARGET HARD-TO-REACH MIDDLE SCHOOL YOUTH WITH ESSENTIAL STEM AND LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AND WILL FOCUS ON BUILDING RESOURCES FOR LIBRARIES AROUND MIDDLE SCHOOL YOUTH ENGAGEMENT, EQUITY AND ACCESS, SUMMER LEARNING, AND BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS. ACTIVITIES INCLUDE CREATING A PEER LEARNING COHORT TO PILOT SUMMER LEARNING MODELS; DISTILLING MODELS, PROGRAMS, PARTNERSHIP FRAMEWORKS, AND LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE PILOTS INTO A LEARNING SERIES AND ACTION WORKBOOK; LAUNCHING A MIDDLE SCHOOL AND SUMMER EQUITY LEARNING CHALLENGE FOR LIBRARIES TO PILOT MODELS USING THE RESOURCES; CREATING A SUMMER EQUITY ASSESSMENT; AND DISSEMINATING RESOURCES NATIONALLY. THIS INITIATIVE WILL ELEVATE THE ROLE OF LIBRARIES AS EDUCATION LEADERS BY SCALING SUMMER LEARNING PROGRAMS AND PARTNERSHIPS SO THAT (1) MORE YOUTH CAN POSITIVELY ENGAGE WITH STEM DURING THE CRITICAL TWEEN YEARS; (2) LOCAL GOVERNMENT LEADERS, SCHOOLS, AND SUMMER LEARNING PROVIDERS BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW PUBLIC LIBRARIES CAN STRENGTHEN THE EDUCATION ECOSYSTEM; AND (3) LIBRARIES BUILD THEIR CAPACITY TO DELIVER QUALITY STEM AND SUMMER LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES.

NATIONAL LEADERSHIP GRANTS

THE URBAN LIBRARIES COUNCIL WILL PARTNER WITH THE SAFE ROUTES PARTNERSHIP AND THE ASSOCIATION FOR RURAL AND SMALL LIBRARIES TO ESTABLISH A PROOF OF CONCEPT FOR SAFE ROUTES TO LIBRARIES, INCREASING THE PHYSICAL ACCESSIBILITY OF PUBLIC LIBRARIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THE SAFE ROUTES TO LIBRARIES PLANNING PROJECT WILL COMPLETE A NATIONAL SCAN, BUILDING A COMPREHENSIVE UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORK LIBRARIES ARE ALREADY DOING TO ESTABLISH SAFE PATHS TO THEIR LOCATIONS. THE PROJECT TEAM WILL COLLECT FEEDBACK FROM LIBRARIES ON THE SAFE ROUTES PROGRAM THROUGH LISTENING SESSIONS AND SURVEYS AND LEVERAGE EXISTING NATIONAL MODELS FOR SCHOOLS AND PARKS TO CREATE A PROTOTYPE SAFE ROUTES TO LIBRARIES TOOLKIT WITH EXAMPLES FROM RURAL, SUBURBAN, AND URBAN LIBRARIES. THE PROJECT TEAM WILL THEN DISSEMINATE THE TOOLKIT AND THEIR INITIAL FINDINGS. THE PLANNING PROJECT WILL CONCLUDE WITH A NATIONAL WEBINAR SHOWCASING THE PROJECT’S LEARNINGS TO DATE AND EXPLORING THE FEASIBILITY OF DEVELOPING A NATIONAL SAFE ROUTES TO LIBRARIES MODEL.

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.

LIBRARIANS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

THE URBAN LIBRARIES COUNCIL, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SERENDIPITY FILMS, WILL EXAMINE HOW LIBRARIES CAN SERVE AS TRUSTED SPACES FOR OPEN DIALOGUE IN TIMES OF RECOVERY AND REBUILDING. THE NATIONAL FORUM WILL FEATURE A PREVIEW SCREENING OF THE COMPLETED FREE FOR ALL DOCUMENTARY PRIOR TO ITS NATIONAL TELEVISION BROADCAST (FALL 2022).THIS CONVERSATION WILL KICK-OFF A NATIONAL INITIATIVE TO FOSTER CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AMONG LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, COMMUNITY LEADERS, AND THE PUBLIC AND DEMONSTRATE THE ROLE LIBRARIES CAN PLAY IN SUPPORTING DEMOCRACY AND ENSURING AN INCLUSIVE COVID-19 RECOVERY.

LIBRARIANS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

NATIONAL LEADERSHIP GRANTS