Written by Jenny Garmon, Consultant and Fellow, Urban Libraries Council...

There are young people in every community who could benefit from targeted programs and services. This interactive map overlays CYO member library locations with national youth disconnection data. You may use it to learn more about library programs to support opportunity youth that may be replicated in other communities.

"Taking on the role of Young Adult Coordinator for a library system was both a rewarding and challenging endeavor, especially stepping into a role that had been vacant. As the new system-wide coordinator, I had to reimagine young adult (YA) services to meet the needs and interests of our community while offering meaningful and engaging activities that aligned with our library’s mission to inform, enrich, and empower."

"The challenge of opportunity youth is not just about crime, however; it’s about the future and how bleak it becomes for someone when they lack work experience coupled with low educational attainment. That is what our library system, Memphis Public Libraries, had to consider when thinking about ways to address the opportunity youth numbers in the city."

All young people deserve the opportunity to thrive. This includes those who, through little to no fault of their own, have become disconnected from school or work or who are at risk of so becoming. When opportunity youth are reconnected with school and/or work, their involvement in the criminal legal system lessens, health outcomes improve, and their earning potential increases.

At ULC, one of our top strategic priorities is to Support the Urban Library Leader—and that means equipping you with robust professional development opportunities, advocacy tools, and peer-to-peer networks that drive measurable impact.

Now, more than ever, our collective leadership must rise to meet these challenges head-on. ULC remains unwavering in our commitment to support you, advocate for the value of libraries, and provide the tools and networks needed to navigate these turbulent times.

On November 6-8, 2024, 11 leaders from public libraries across North America convened in Washington, D.C., for the 2024 convening of ULC’s Creating Youth Opportunities (CYO) initiative. With a dynamic mix of presentations, panels, and discussions, the convening showcased innovative strategies to improve outcomes for opportunity youth—young people disengaged from both work and school and navigating systemic barriers to education and employment.

This summer, the Urban Libraries Council asked its 187 member libraries across the U.S. and Canada to participate in the second-annual Library Insights Survey (LIS), compiling 2023 data to build on pre-pandemic trends tracked from 2019-2022. Today, we proudly release the 2024 Library Insights Report.

Together with Google Kids and Families, ULC is proud to introduce parents and caregivers to fun educational apps that help children ages 12 and under to be safe, promote literacy and learning and provide rich entertainment for families to interact with each other. Digital play is prevalent, and having a safe and nurturing environment is critical for the well-being of our children.