1. PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Lourdes Aceves For Immediate Release
Email: laceves@urbanlibraries.org June 18, 2014
312.676.0951
Urban Libraries Council and National Coalition Celebrate
Successful Launch of the Edge Initiative for Public Libraries
New Management and Leadership Tool for Libraries
Funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
June 18, 2014 (Chicago, IL) – As cities, towns and counties across the United States celebrate National
Library Week, public libraries are using a new management and leadership tool called Edge. Launched in
late January 2014, over 2,000 public libraries are using Edge to explore the strategic needs of their
community and align their public technology services with critical community priorities.
Recognizing that communities thrive when people have opportunities to enrich and improve their lives
through open access to information, communication and technology services, Edge enables public libraries
to assess their current technology, identify areas of excellence, and strengthen policies, practices and
resources.
Edge provides a tool set that helps library staff with strategic planning and resource allocation while
strengthening communications with local leaders. By using Edge, libraries are able to demonstrate how
their work adds value and supports strong outcomes for the community.
“Our police and fire departments, our emergency communications department and our recreation
department all participate in accreditation programs. Like these departments, libraries need to go through
an evaluation process that takes national standards, benchmarks, outcomes and measures to define the
service that they provide,” said Rashad Young, City Manager of Alexandria, Virginia. “Being City Manager, it
really does make a difference when our departments have used professional tools like Edge to say ‘here is
what the best practices say about where we should be and how we should be delivering services, here is
how we compare against these benchmarks and here is what we need to do to meet or exceed these best
practices.”
In today’s public libraries, patrons attend technology training and use public computers and Internet-access
to apply for jobs, complete college applications, advance skills through professional certification programs,
get homework help, receive literacy training, access government, financial, health information and much
more.
“Edge is not just about providing high quality technology, it is also about knowing your community and the
types of technology programs that your community needs,” said Anne Masters, Library Director of Pioneer
Library System in Oklahoma. “The Pioneer Public Library is conducting a system-wide community

2. assessment survey in preparation for a strategic planning process. We will integrate our Edge results into
our strategic plan and discuss it with our city government and community planning group.”
Just three months following the national launch of the Edge Initiative, nearly 20% of public libraries have
adopted this new professional tool. The Initiative was developed by a coalition of leading library and local
government organizations with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and led by the Urban
Libraries Council.
“We’re pleased to offer Edge to libraries across the United States – large and small, urban, suburban and
rural – to help them continuously plan and work with key stakeholders,” stated Susan Benton, President &
CEO of the Urban Libraries Council. “By connecting public libraries with the strategic goals and outcomes of
local leaders, Edge is making a difference in communities across the country.”
To sign up to become an Edge library, please visit www.libraryedge.org.
For more information about the Edge Initiative, please contact Lourdes Aceves, Senior Program Manager at
the Urban Libraries Council at (312) 676-0951 or email: laceves@urbanlibraries.org.
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