Urban Librarians Unite

Dana Rachlin will be this year's keynote speaker at ULCON! A distinguished community justice leader and public safety expert, Dana founded We Build the Block (WBTB)—an initiative that supports communities afflicted by over-policing and mass incarceration. Register: actionnetwork.org/ticketed_eve...

Urban Librarians Conference 2025 Urban librarianship is unpredictable, creative, and often a little chaotic—and that’s exactly what this conference celebrates. This year’s theme embraces the bold experiments, messy attempts, surprisi...

Registration is open for ULCON25! This year’s theme, Throwing Spaghetti at the Wall embraces the bold experiments, messy attempts, surprising successes, and spectacular flops that make urban library work so real. Register here: actionnetwork.org/ticketed_eve...

Did you join us for happy hour at ALA? There's more to where that came from!

ULU happy hour resumes next Monday, July 14 at our office in Brooklyn! RSVP: actionnetwork.org/events/ulu-j...

Text reads: "Library Worker Support Network, Call for Peer Leaders. Provide group based support for library workers. Training starts August 2025. All library types and positions welcome! Apply now."

The Library Worker Support Network is recruiting its second cohort of peer leaders! We're also (always) recruiting new members. Learn more here and apply to be a leader before 7/12! libraryworkersupport.org

An illustrated cat is pictured sitting in a cocktail glass, under an umbrella. Text reads: ULU Happy Hour, sponsored by PAVE. Sunday June 29th, 6-8pm. Hampton Inn Philadelphia Center City-Convention Center.

Going to ALA? Join us for happy hour, sponsored by PAVE! Sunday, June 29 at 6pm. See you there!

Refugeelibraries.org Research Party In 2017, ULU worked with over a hundred volunteers to create refugeelibraries.org. Well, it's time for an upgrade! Join us at the ULU Office for pizza and spreadsheets as we update and add new informa...

RSVP here! actionnetwork.org/events/refug...

In 2017, ULU worked with over a hundred volunteers to create refugeelibraries.org. Well, it's time for an upgrade! Join us at the ULU Office for pizza and spreadsheets as we update and add new information for today's needs. BYO Laptop.

Join us for this month's physical safety class this SATURDAY, 2pm at HAVEN Boxing! actionnetwork.org/ticketed_eve...

We're back at Talea for this month's happy hour!
Join us: actionnetwork.org/events/ulu-j...

Queer & Crafty Kick off the first weekend of Pride Month with a low-key creative night with ULU. Join us for tunes, air conditioning, mocktails, and group crafting. We’ll be doing some screenprinting – we’ve got lot...

Kick off the first weekend of Pride Month with a low-key creative night with ULU. Join us for tunes, air conditioning, mocktails, and group crafting. We’ll be screenprinting! RSVP: actionnetwork.org/events/queer...

The news cycle may have moved on from Dr. Carla Hayden’s unjust firing from her position as Librarian of Congress, but I haven’t. I suspect you are feeling the same way.

While there’s no FY2026 library budget cut, rising costs and growing need renders flat funding a “quiet cut.”

NYC libraries need a funding increase. And in a moment when the federal government is dismantling our libraries, the time to fight for them at the local level is now.

Illustration of woman in boxing gloves, which could be YOU this Saturday if you join us at 2pm at Haven Boxing. 65 Scholes St., Brooklyn NY.

Join us this Saturday for our May physical safety class at Haven Boxing! Special $10 class rate for library workers. Register: actionnetwork.org/ticketed_eve...

Happy hour is TONIGHT! 6:30pm at the ULU office at 87 Richardson St., Brooklyn, NY. RSVP: actionnetwork.org/events/ulu-m...

Another month, another events schedule. Join us for happy hour at the ULU offices on the 12th, and physical safety training at Haven Boxing on the 17th! RSVP: urbanlibrariansunite.org/events/

Fund Libraries: Tell Congress to invest in libraries. ALA American Library Association, #FundLibraries.

We need EVERY library advocate to raise their voice in support of library funding. Take action NOW, call Congress to #FundLibraries: bit.ly/Call2FundLibraries

Time is running out to Fund Libraries next fiscal year. Congress MUST act to include libraries in the next federal budget. #ForOurLibraries

Join us TOMORROW!

You can't make this up...

Save IMLS Postcard Party! Wednesday April 30 | 6–9pm at the ULU Office. 87 Richardson St., Brooklyn. We'll have pizza!

Join us next Wednesday 4/30 for an emergency postcard writing session to tell your elected officials to stand up against the IMLS cuts! RSVP: actionnetwork.org/events/430-s...

The Latest From IMLS and What You Need to Prepare For Right Now It’s only been a little more than a month since the current administration dropped an Executive Order related to funding and projects from the Institute for...

The latest on the IMLS and why we need to be taking America 250 really damn seriously: buttondown.com/wellsourced/...

If you are struggling with everything going on in libraries right now - Library Worker Support Network is here. We have a meeting tonight and there is still time to register! libraryworkersupport.org#schedule @ulunyc.bsky.social #Librarians #LibraryWorkers #LibraryWorkerMentalHealth

We're one week out from our next physical safety class at HAVEN Boxing! If you're a library worker, register for a special $10 class rate: actionnetwork.org/ticketed_eve...

Supporting Library Workers on National Library Workers Day This year has been a difficult one for library workers. Many of us are feeling under attack in more ways than one. Between assaults on our institutions & values from the federal government, and…

ALL library workers deserve to feel safe at work and a6903 is a great first step in expanding public safety protections in New York. Learn more about the bill here: urbanlibrariansunite.org/supporting-l...

Additionally, stipulations in 27-b aren't designed for libraries, where policies need to be sensitive to patrons who may need community outreach, or physical and mental healthcare referrals. We need plans to address violence BEFORE incidents occur.

In New York state, SOME public library workers are currently covered under NYS Labor Law Article 2, Section 27-b as public employees, which mandates annual safety trainings and incident reporting procedures. Many other library workers are left out.

Librarians Face a Crisis of Violence and Abuse As libraries become public stages for social problems — homelessness, drug use, mental health — the people who work there are burning out.

As you likely know, there is an epidemic of violence in libraries. And contrary to popular belief, it isn't always rooted in escalations from patrons. Book bans and other assaults on our institutions also lead to violence in libraries. www.nytimes.com/2024/10/31/w...

Supporting Library Workers on National Library Workers Day This year has been a difficult one for library workers. Many of us are feeling under attack in more ways than one. Between assaults on our institutions & values from the federal government, and…

This National Library Workers Day, we're working with @afscme.bsky.social District Councils 66 & @dc37nyc.bsky.social to advance NYS Assembly Bill a.6903, the Library Workplace Violence Prevention Act. urbanlibrariansunite.org/supporting-l...

Our National Library Workers Day happy hour is TONIGHT at Black Forest Brooklyn on Fulton. Come on down to hang out!

Show Up for Our Libraries Join us and Show Up #ForOurLibraries.

Same goes for our friends @amlibraryassoc.bsky.social. Take action and speak up #ForOurLibraries www.ala.org/advocacy/sho...

Take Action To Save Federal Funding for Libraries! Trump is attempting to destroy federal funding for libraries. We need you to take action today! That's why we made it easy to contact your reps, sign petitions, and learn about the Institute of Museum...

Our friends at @everylibrary.bsky.social have made it super easy to take action—whether it's signing their petition against the budget cuts to writing a letter to your rep: action.everylibrary.org/saveimls2025