The Leaders Library Card Challenge via Urban Libraries Council

The Leaders Library Card Challenge

@UrbanLibCouncil

Creating High-Level Partnerships to Improve Education Outcomes

Urban Libraries Council: 2018

Expanding on the work of the Leaders Library Card Challenge, this Strategic Guide provides 10 steps library leaders can follow to launch and sustain a partnership between local government, school and library leaders to connect K-12 students to their public libraries as a path to improved education outcomes.

About the Leaders Library Card Challenge

Launched in 2015 as part of President Obama’s ConnectED Initiative, the Leaders Library Card Challenge grew out of the belief that more intentional collaboration among mayors/county executives, school superintendents and library directors could improve education outcomes for all students, begin to close achievement gaps and establish a foundation for an integrated approach to education.

More than 100 library systems in North America have participated in the Challenge, issuing new library cards to 3 million children. However, these collaborative efforts are about much more than library cards. Participating library systems report achieving these outcomes:

• 90% built strong relationships with school leaders

• 66% saw an increase in student use of library learning resources

• 63% entered into a formal agreement or MOU with one or more school districts in their service area to ensure continued collaboration

• 71% launched new or expanded work with schools beyond library cards

• 40% built new relationships with elected and/or top appointed officials

Why This Work Matters

Education success is the key to life success. Despite widespread recognition of the importance of quality education, too many of our children — particularly those from low-income families — continue to fall behind from an early age.

• 63% of all fourth graders are not reading at grade level, and 60% are not proficient in math.

• Children who cannot read proficiently by the end of third grade are four times more likely than proficient readers to drop out of high school or not graduate on time.

• 90% of students who drop out of school are not qualified for 90% of new jobs and earn 50% less than college graduates.

• More than three out of five first graders (62.2%) living below the poverty level did not have library cards, and only 36% of children with the lowest socioeconomic status visited their library in their kindergarten years.

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