North American Libraries Send Strong Message Of

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMarch 3, 2021ULC Press ContactCurtis Rogers(202) 750-8658crogers@urbanlibraries.orgNorth American Libraries Send Strong Message ofCommitment to Racial and Social Equity204 urban libraries sign statement aimed at achieving racial and social equityWASHINGTON – In a strong act of commitment to a more equitable society, 204 public libraries acrossNorth America have signed the Urban Libraries Council’s Statement on Race and Social Equity. Thisstatement serves as a baseline upon which libraries can build policies and actions that make theircommunities more inclusive and just. The statement reads as follows:As leaders of North America’s public libraries, we are committed to achieving racial and social equity bycontributing to a more just society in which all community members can realize their full potential. Ourlibraries can help achieve true and sustained equity through an intentional, systemic and transformativelibrary-community partnership. Our library systems are working to achieve equity in the communities weserve by: Eliminating racial and social equity barriers in library programs, services, policies and practicesCreating and maintaining an environment of diversity, inclusion and respect both in our librarysystems and in all aspects of our community roleEnsuring that we are reaching and engaging disenfranchised people in the community andhelping them express their voiceServing as a convener and facilitator of conversations and partnerships to address communitychallengesBeing forthright on tough issues that are important to our communitiesLibraries are trusted, venerable and enduring institutions, central to their communities and an essentialparticipant in the movement for racial and social equity.The following libraries have signed on to the above statement:

ALABAMABirmingham Public LibraryALASKAAnchorage Public LibraryALBERTABibliothèque de Beaumont LibraryCalgary Public LibraryEdmonton Public LibraryLethbridge Public LibraryARIZONAPima County Public LibraryARKANSASCentral Arkansas Library SystemBRITISH COLUMBIAFort St. John Public LibrarySurrey LibrariesCALIFORNIAAlameda County LibraryBerkeley Public LibraryCarlsbad City LibraryContra Costa County LibraryFresno County Public LibraryLA County LibraryLos Angeles Public LibraryMarin County Free LibraryOakland Public LibraryOceanside Public LibraryPacific Library PartnershipPalo Alto City LibraryPasadena Public LibrarySan Diego Public LibrarySan Francisco Public LibrarySan José Public LibrarySan Mateo County LibrarySanta Clara County LibrarySanta Monica Public LibrarySonoma County LibrarySunnyvale Public LibraryCOLORADOAnythinkAurora Public LibraryDenver Public LibraryDouglas County LibrariesJefferson County Public LibraryPoudre River Public Library DistrictCONNECTICUTBloomfield Public LibraryThe Ferguson LibraryHartford Public LibraryManchester Public LibraryNew Haven Free Public LibraryNorwalk Public Library SystemOtis LibraryPequot LibraryRussell LibraryWallingford Public LibraryDISTRICT OF COLUMBIADC Public LibraryFLORIDABroward County LibraryJacksonville Public LibraryMandel Public Library of West Palm BeachMiami-Dade Public Library SystemPalm Beach County Library SystemTampa-Hillsborough County Public LibraryGEORGIAAthens Regional Library SystemAtlanta-Fulton Public Library SystemChattahoochee Valley LibrariesDeKalb County Public LibraryGwinnett County Public LibraryILLINOISArlington Heights Memorial LibraryBloomington Public LibraryChicago Public LibraryOak Park Public LibrarySchaumburg Township District LibrarySkokie Public LibraryINDIANAAllen County Public LibraryEvansville Vanderburgh Public LibraryThe Indianapolis Public LibraryJohnson County Public LibraryLake County Public Library

IOWACedar Rapids Public LibraryCoralville Public LibraryDes Moines Public LibraryJames Kennedy Public LibraryKnoxville Public LibraryMarion Public LibraryNorth Liberty LibraryWaterloo Public LibraryKANSASJohnson County LibraryTopeka & Shawnee County Public LibraryWichita Public LibraryKENTUCKYLexington Public LibraryLouisville Free Public LibraryLOUISIANAEast Baton Rouge Parish LibraryNew Orleans Public LibraryShreve Memorial LibraryMAINEPortland Public LibraryMARYLANDAnne Arundel County Public LibraryBaltimore County Public LibraryEnoch Pratt Free LibraryHoward County Library SystemMontgomery County Public LibrariesPrince George’s County Memorial LibrarySystemMASSACHUSETTSBoston Public LibraryCambridge Public LibrarySpringfield City LibraryTurner Free LibraryMICHIGANDetroit Public LibraryGrand Rapids Public LibraryGrosse Pointe Public LibraryKalamazoo Public LibraryKent District LibraryLoutit District LibraryMonroe County Library SystemWest Bloomfield Township Public LibraryMINNESOTAHennepin County LibrarySaint Paul Public LibraryMISSOURIKansas City Public LibraryMid-Continent Public LibrarySt. Charles City-County LibrarySt. Louis County LibrarySt. Louis Public LibraryNEBRASKADo SpaceLincoln City LibrariesOmaha Public LibraryNEVADADouglas County Public LibraryHenderson LibrariesLas Vegas-Clark County Library DistrictWashoe County Library SystemNEW JERSEYJersey City Free Public LibraryNewark Public LibraryPaterson Free Public LibraryNEW MEXICOAlbuquerque/Bernalillo County Library SystemNEW YORKBrooklyn Public LibraryNew York Public LibraryQueens Public LibraryRochester Public LibraryNORTH CAROLINACharlotte Mecklenburg LibraryDurham County LibraryForsyth County Public LibraryGreensboro Public Library

OHIOCleveland Public LibraryColumbus Metropolitan LibraryCuyahoga County Public LibraryDayton Metro LibraryEast Cleveland Public LibraryThe Public Library of Cincinnati and HamiltonCountyThe Public Library of Youngstown &Mahoning CountyStark County District LibraryToledo Lucas County Public LibraryOKLAHOMAMetropolitan Library SystemPioneer Library SystemTulsa City-County LibraryONTARIOBrampton LibraryHamilton Public LibraryKitchener Public LibraryMarkham Public LibraryMilton Public LibraryMississauga Library SystemNew Tecumseth Public LibraryOttawa Public LibraryToronto Public LibraryVaughan Public LibrariesOREGONCanby Public LibraryEstacada Public LibraryGladstone Public LibraryHappy Valley LibraryHillsboro Public LibraryLake Oswego Public LibraryLedding Library of MilwaukieMolalla Public LibraryMultnomah County LibraryOak Lodge Public LibraryOregon City Public LibrarySandy Public LibraryWest Linn Public LibraryWilsonville Public LibraryPENNSYLVANIACarnegie Library of PittsburghFree Library of PhiladelphiaRHODE ISLANDProvidence Public LibrarySOUTH CAROLINARichland LibraryTENNESSEEChattanooga Public LibraryMemphis Public LibrariesNashville Public LibraryTEXASAustin Public LibraryDallas Public LibraryEl Paso Public LibraryFort Worth LibraryFrisco Public LibraryHarris County LibraryHouston Public LibrarySan Antonio Public LibrarySan Marcos Public LibraryUTAHSalt Lake City Public LibrarySalt Lake County Library ServicesVERMONTHartland Public LibraryVIRGINIAAlexandria LibraryArlington Public LibraryChesterfield County Public LibraryFairfax County Public LibraryNewport News Public LibraryPrince William Public Library SystemRoanoke County Public LibraryVirginia Beach Public LibraryWASHINGTONBellingham Public LibraryFort Vancouver Regional Library DistrictKing County Library SystemKitsap Regional Library

Pierce County Library SystemSno-Isle LibrariesSpokane Public LibraryTacoma Public LibraryWISCONSINMadison Public LibraryMilwaukee Public Library

Mar 03, 2021 · Kent District Library Loutit District Library Monroe County Library System West Bloomfield Township Public Library MINNESOTA Hennepin County Library Saint Paul Public Library . Jersey City Free Public Library Newark Public Library Paterson Free Public Library