The non-profit organization Urban Librarians Unite (ULU), headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, announced today that it has been awarded a “game-changing” $1 million grant from The Mellon Foundation through its Public Knowledge program. The grant, which will be distributed over four years, is the largest support ULU has received since its founding more than a decade ago.
The Mellon Foundation’s Public Knowledge program works “to increase equitable access to deep knowledge that helps to build an informed, heterogeneous, and civically engaged society.”
The mission of Urban Librarians Unite — a group of urban library professionals and advocates led by Executive Director Lauren Comito — is “to connect, support, and empower urban library workers” and to foster “collaboration and innovation within the library community.”
“We are all knee deep in a fight for our values and services,” ULU reports, facing down conservative political organizations like Moms for Liberty and its radical book bans, as well as massive budget cuts proposed by city mayors including New York’s Eric Adams.
[Note: In November, Mayor Adams presented his 2024 budget which cuts city funding for libraries from $36.2 million a year to $12.6 million. New York Public Library leaders said in a joint statement that the cuts would force them to close branches on Sundays: “Without sufficient funding, we cannot sustain our current levels of service, and any further cuts to the libraries’ budgets will, unfortunately, result in deeper service impacts.”]
As seen below, Urban Librarians Unite is getting creative with its fund-raising efforts by promoting new merchandise that takes a swipe at the aforementioned Moms for Liberty. ULU is selling a line of t-shirts, tank tops, hoodies, aprons and tote bags that read: “I Do Not Co-Parent with Moms for Liberty.”
[Context: Moms for Liberty members have held ‘We Do Not Co-Parent with the Government’ signs at protests and rallies.]
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