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

• News on library & Extension partnerships
• Updates on the Fourth Annual I Partner with My Public Library Awards
• The release of a Safe Routes to Libraries GIS Mapping Tool
• How and why to join our monthly Birds of a Feather online conversation

But first, our main story.

On Tuesday, September 8, at 3 pm Eastern / 12 pm Pacific, the Urban Libraries Council and the Safe Routes Partnership wrap up their free Safe Routes to Libraries Virtual Learning Series by exploring how we can grow the Safe Routes to Libraries movement through cross sector collaborations, including simple activities to implement this Fall!

Sign up to get ideas you can use to increase community safety and access to public libraries. And while you are at the sign up page, also check out the recordings and slides for events held in July and August. At the July event, Taylor Arnold, Makerspace Librarian at the Billings (MT) Public Library, shared how the library has partnered with public transit, public health, and public radio to inspire and inform more safe routes to libraries for transit riders and for bicyclists of all ages. Then, the August event highlighted how back-to-school is the perfect time for public libraries to partner with K-12 schools to create new opportunities for safe routes to schools and libraries for all who walk, bike, and roll.

Want to learn more? The Safe Routes Partnership has a curated list of Safe Routes to Libraries Resource Center for library directors, for library staff, for partners in the K-12 school sector, for local planning & transit staff, and even for library visitors. This is a great place to go to learn more about how it takes a village to create and sustain safe routes to libraries!

Finally, if you are heading to the annual Association for Rural & Small Libraries Conference this September in Montgomery, Alabama, make sure to check out the session Safe Routes to Libraries: Actionable Solutions to Ensuring Walking and Biking Access to Your Library. Here’s the session description: “Rural libraries provide essential community resources, but safely getting to the library is a challenge for many residents. In this interactive two-hour pre-conference, participants will learn about the Safe Routes to Libraries initiative, a growing effort to improve walkability, accessibility, and transportation connections to rural libraries. The first half of the session will introduce the new Safe Routes to Libraries Resource Center, highlighting practical tools, case examples, and strategies libraries can use to overcome challenges and advocate for safer routes. In the second half, participants will put these ideas into practice through a guided walk audit, learning how to observe, document, and discuss real-world conditions around a library site. Attendees will leave with concrete resources and hands-on experience to support safer, more accessible library access in their communities. Comfortable shoes recommended!”

News on library & Extension partnerships

On August 17, 2026, Jim Monahan, Health Communications Manager at Michigan State University Extension, published an inspiring and informative article titled “Michigan State University Extension and local libraries help turn the page on health education: Through library partnerships, MSU Extension is bringing health, food safety and nutrition education to communities across Michigan.”

This article stays that since January 2025, MSU Extension has provided food and health education programs in 68 public libraries, delivering 119 programs across 325 sessions and reaching more than 1,500 participants. Libraries also help MSU Extension better understand community interests and needs while providing a trusted setting for the health educators to connect with residents.

Speaking about the relationship, Reilly Brower, interim director of Dorr Township Library, said “We were searching for partners to lead programming relating to chronic conditions and diseases. We had contacted a number of local hospitals and heard no reply. In our search, we found MSU’s Dining with Diabetes program.”

MSU Extension partnerships has created opportunities for residents across the state to access free, evidence-based programs on food safety, food preservation, nutrition, mindfulness and physical activity.

Tanner Derror, an MSU Extension health educator who facilitates mindfulness programs at Butman-Fish Library among others, said the relationships that develop through these programs are one of the most meaningful parts of the work. “I love working with my local library systems because they are natural places to connect community and engage in learning opportunities. Through these partnerships I’ve been able to build a natural group of participants that regularly attend and support each other.”

Together, MSU Extension and local libraries are bringing trusted, evidence-based health education closer to home, giving Michigan residents more opportunities to learn, connect and build healthier habits.

Nominations for the Fourth Annual I Partner with My Public Library Awards have come in from Alberta, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Ontario, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, and the Republic of the Philippines.

Thank you to everyone who submitted a nomination! Our team of volunteer reviewers will now be reading all the nominations. We’ll announce this year’s Awardees on October 1, 2026.

Please save the date of Thursday, November 19, at 2 pm Eastern / 11 am Pacific. We plan to hold the virtual Awards Ceremony then. You can sign up for the Awards Ceremony now. Additional information will be shared in the coming months.

We want to thank everyone for participating! While you wait to hear who wins in 2026, 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 stories we’ve received over the years.

Our ultimate goal in this endeavor is to celebrate and raise awareness about the tremendous power of community partnerships involving public libraries.

The release of the Safe Routes to Libraries GIS Mapping Tool

As part of the Urban Libraries Council’s collaboration with the Safe Routes Partnership, a new resource was released in August. The Safe Routes to Libraries GIS Mapping Tool helps public libraries and local governments better understand the existing infrastructure supporting pedestrian, bike, scooter, and transit access to libraries, while also establishing a baseline for measuring improvement.

By overlaying library locations with publicly available transportation and school proximity data, the tool provides a starting point for local conversations about improving access to libraries by walking, biking, rolling, and public transit. Use the accompanying Tip Sheet for a guide on how to read and use the data to get started!

These resources are part of ULC’s larger Safe Routes to Libraries resource package, which includes the previously published Safe Routes to Libraries Impact Brief.

Learn more at the ULC Safe Routes to Libraries webpage.

How and why to join our monthly Birds of a Feather online conversation