Pilot partnerships between public libraries and local news organizations will engage community members in shaping local news, yielding a replicable model.

WASHINGTON, March 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- More Perfect, an American alliance dedicated to revitalizing democracy, today announced a partnership with the Urban Libraries Council (ULC) to launch a national pilot program connecting public libraries with local news organizations. The initiative puts community members at the center of local journalism through activities such as deliberative journalism, participatory storytelling, and media literacy workshops, creating opportunities for residents to shape the stories and information in their communities.

Founded in 1971, ULC is an innovation and action tank representing 193 leading public library systems across 38 states, Washington, D.C., and five Canadian provinces. ULC strengthens libraries as dynamic civic institutions, leveraging their social capital as one of the most trusted civic spaces in American life to foster not only learning, but community engagement and well-being.

"Libraries and newsrooms should be collaborating much more extensively than they already are because they share a central civic function: helping residents understand their communities, navigate public systems, and participate in local democracy," said Shamichael Hallman, Senior Director of Civic Health and Economic Opportunity at the Urban Libraries Council. "This pilot program teams local libraries and newsrooms to put residents at the center of local news, giving them a voice in the stories that affect their lives and communities. By combining library resources with newsroom expertise, we are creating a model for community-driven local news that can be replicated nationwide."

The pilot program will provide 6–8 grants to library-newsroom teams, along with targeted capacity-building, training, and implementation support. Participating teams will explore three core themes:

1. Expanding access to and trust in reliable local information by ensuring residents can find nonpartisan, high-quality news about their communities.
2. Elevating community voices through co-produced reporting, participatory storytelling, and an inclusive narrative project.
3. Creating pathways for democratic participation by leveraging libraries' role as open, trusted civic spaces that foster dialogue and informed action.

"Public libraries are one of the most trusted institutions in our communities, and local newsrooms play a critical role in keeping residents informed," said John Bridgeland, Founder & CEO of More Perfect. "By bringing these two pillars together, this pilot ensures that community members are not just consumers of information, but active participants in shaping it. This approach strengthens trust in local journalism, encourages civic learning, and helps communities solve real problems together."

Brooks Rainwater, President & CEO of the Urban Libraries Council, added, "This initiative demonstrates the transformative power of libraries as civic conveners. By connecting libraries with local newsrooms and supporting collaborative, community-driven journalism, we are equipping residents with the tools to engage meaningfully in their communities, combat misinformation, and build stronger, more informed neighborhoods. We are proud to partner with More Perfect to pilot this innovative approach to civic engagement."

Throughout the pilot, ULC will convene participating sites for training, peer learning, and collaborative problem-solving. Activities may include in-library newsroom outposts, deliberative journalism projects, civic media workshops, and storytelling efforts that highlight lived experience and local knowledge.

Together, More Perfect and ULC aim to strengthen community dialogue, increase civic participation, and produce a playbook to replicate sustainable, citizen-centered journalism across the country.

The project advances More Perfect's Democracy Goal 1: Universal Civic Learning, Democracy Goal 3: Bridging Divides, and Democracy Goal 5: Access to Trusted News and Information. This alignment positions this pilot program as a blueprint for lasting democratic renewal.

About More Perfect
More Perfect is a American alliance of 44 Presidential Centers, National Archives Foundation, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Karsh Institute of Democracy at the University of Virginia, and more than 100 organizations working together to advance five foundational Democracy Goals: 1) Universal Civic Learning; 2) Expanding National Service & Volunteering; 3) Bridging Divides & Building Trust; 4) Trusted Elections & More Representative and Responsive Governance; and 5) Access to Trusted News & Information.

About Urban Libraries Council
The Urban Libraries Council is an innovation and action tank of North America's leading public library systems. We drive cutting-edge research and strategic partnerships to elevate the power of libraries as essential, transformative institutions for the 21st century. We identify significant challenges facing today's communities and develop new tools and techniques to help libraries achieve stronger outcomes in education, workforce and economic development, digital equity and race and social equity.

For press inquiries, contact:
press@joinmoreperfect.us

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