The June 2026 newsletter of Let’s Move in Libraries includes:

• The Safe Routes to Libraries Impact Brief
• Stories about Bike Month with the library
• How and why to join our monthly Birds of a Feather online conversation

But first, our main story.

Does your library do great things with community partners? Share your story in the Fourth Annual I Partner with My Public Library Awards.

The call for nominations opens today, June 1, 2026, and will remain open through August 31, 2026.

Here is a direct link to the nomination form, and below are the questions this form asks you to complete.

2026 Award Nomination Form

Part 1. Your library, Your Partner, and Your Community.

1. Name and location of your library
2. Brief description of population served by your library
3. Name of partner you’re nominating
4. Your name, title, and contact email

Part 2. The Partnership (Suggested word limit: 150 words per question, except Question 3 which may run up to 250 words. The total nomination should be under 1,500 words)

1. How did the partnership get started, and how long has it been in existence – or, if it was a project-based collaboration, how long did the project run?
2. What community need or needs does the partnership address?
3. Please share one specific story, moment, or interaction that illustrates the impact of this partnership on the people you serve.
4. What evidence do you have of impact? If possible, please include at least one specific number — attendance figures, people served, funds raised, resources provided, or any other metric that captures what this partnership has accomplished.
5. How has this partnership benefited both your library and your partner organization? What does each side bring to the relationship, and what does each side gain?
6. How would you describe the working relationship between your library and the partner?
7. If you think this model could work in other communities, what would a librarian need to do to activate it?
8. Is there anything else you’d like us to know? You are also welcome to submit photos, links to media coverage, or other supporting materials.

To get inspired to submit a nomination, check out who won in 2025, 2024, and 2023. Also check out the “Stories of Partnerships” webpage. Over the last three years, we have received so many amazing nominations, but we’re only able to award 10 partners a year. This Stories of Partnerships webpage serves to showcase many of the other amazing stories we’ve received over the years.

As in previous years, a team of volunteer reviewers makes these awards possible. Awards reviewers will spend approximately 3-5 hours reviewing nominations and filling out an online form based on that review. Learn more and serve as a reviewer! You can both submit a nomination and serve as a reviewer: We’ll make sure you don’t review your own nomination!

We can’t wait to see your nominations! Join us in this celebration of the power of community partnerships.

The Safe Routes to Libraries Impact Brief

With the support of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the Urban Libraries Council (ULC) and the Safe Routes Partnership (SRP) have collaborated since 2024 to lay the groundwork for a national “Safe Routes to Libraries” program.

This initiative is designed to foster walking, biking, and rolling access to public library buildings across the United States, with the goal of safely connecting communities to library resources and programs that enhance the literacy and health outcomes of all Americans.

In February 2025, ULC and SRP surveyed members of ULC and the Association for Rural & Small Libraries to understand the existing landscape of Safe Routes to Libraries work before the implementation of a national initiative.

This new Impact Brief released May 2026 explores the work libraries are already doing across North America to improve the walkability and bike-ability of their buildings — from transportation safety and bike education programs to community audits and StoryWalks! Take a look and place share widely.

Stories about Bike Month with the library

Did you know that National Bike Month in the United States is May? And that National Bike Month in Canada is June?

Our thanks to our network for sharing the following examples of how they and their partners have teamed up to support bicycling and bike-friendly communities!

In Alberta, the Red Deer Public Library is celebrating in both May and June with cool programs in partnership with different community organizations, including on Saturday, May 23, and then again on Sunday, June 14, the library teams up with the Red Deer Safety City Society to host Pedals & Pages. This event is a day of family fun and learning. Participants are invited to “bring your bikes, skateboards, scooters, rollerblades, or just your feet and explore the CityScape streets and their wonders. PLUS join library staff with their Book Bike from 12 p.m. – 2 p.m. for engaging safety stories and literary adventures!”

In Muscatine, Iowa, Musser Public Library teamed up with a bunch of community partners co-sponsor a Bike/Walk to School Day event on May 12. Staff from the library even appeared on local radio station, Voice of Muscatine, to talk up the event.

Also in Iowa, in Urbandale, for the second year in a row the library sponsored a Bike to the Library contest. Anyone who tags the library on social media or emails the library a selfie will be entered to win a gift card to a local bike shop.

In Ohio, the Mansfield/Richland County Public Library joined ing the city’s annual “Bikeapalooza” on May 9, 2026. This community festival includes community partners talking about what they can do for families, live music, a bike repair station, free food and many, many bikes being raffled off.  Each child that attends gets a free helmet. The library has brought the bookmobile to this event for the last 4 years. The library brings information about our summer library program, do a bike related craft or activity and check out books related to biking.

In Oregon, Eugene Public Library to Springfield Public Library celebrated Bike Month by hosting a community bike ride from the Eugene to the Springfield library on May 23. This family-friendly five mile route mostly traversed a river bike path. Along the way, partners offered optional rest and activity spots, including a read-aloud of the picture book “Duck on a Bike,” a slalom challenge, a chalk art station, a visit to the Kalapuya Talking Stones, and a short tour of Springfield Public Library. Partners included the City of Eugene Recreation Department and Lane County’s Bike Month initiative.

Also in Oregon, Multnomah County Public Library teamed up with the Portland Bureau of Transportation for the first ever Bike to Books Family Ride. All were invited to join the partners for a fun, family-friendly bike ride exploring bikeways connecting two public libraries and spot some Bike to Books art along the way! The ride was approximately 4.5 miles long and travelled at a slow pace.

In California, the 11th annual Gira de Library Library Tour took off at the Calabazas branch on May 16th. This is a guided community and staff bicycle ride that visits four of the San Jose Public Library’s branches. The Gira de Libro Library Tour by Bicycle is a fun tour for library lovers and bicycle enthusiasts. With the growing momentum of bicycle awareness, advocacy and infrastructure in Silicon Valley, libraries are pursuing innovative bicycle-related services and programming. Hosting library bicycle tours increases the visibility of our libraries and get librarians out into the community.

In North Carolina, on Saturday, May 16 the Farmville Public Library offered a free bike repair clinic. After the clinic, all were invited to break out their bikes and join the library in the Town’s first Bike to School Day!

How to join our monthly Birds of a Feather online conversations