Press Kits

ALA Annual Conference
The American Library Association, the oldest and largest library association in the world, will hold its 2013 Annual Conference & Exhibition from June 27 - July 2, 2013 in Chicago. The largest such convention in the world is attended by more than 25,000 librarians, library supporters, educators, writers, publishers, Friends of Libraries, trustees and special guests.

The Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction
The Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction, were established in 2012, and recognize the best of the best in fiction and nonfiction books for adult readers published in the U.S. the previous year. The awards serve as a guide to help adults select quality reading material. They are the first single-book awards for adult books given by the American Library Association and reflect the expert judgment and insight of library professionals who work closely with adult readers. Nancy Pearl, librarian, literature expert, NPR commentator, and best-selling author of “Booklust” serves as chair of the awards’ selection committee.

El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children's Day/Book Day)
known as Día, is a celebration EVERY DAY of children, families, and reading that culminates every year on April 30. The celebration emphasizes the importance of advocating literacy for children of all linguistic and cultural backgrounds.

ACRL National Conference 
The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), a division of the American Library Association, will hold ACRL 2013 in Indianapolis from April 10 – 13 at the Indiana Convention Center. The conference will showcase the most current and relevant trends in academic and research librarianship – both scholarly and practical. This is a “can’t miss” professional development event that offers cutting-edge content and countless opportunities to engage in conversations with academic and research librarians from around the globe.

National Library Week
National Library Week, April 14 - 20, 2013,  is a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation's libraries and library workers and to promote library use and support. From free access to books and online resources for families to library business centers that help support entrepreneurship and retraining, libraries offer opportunity to all.

Preservation Week 
During Preservation Week, April 21 - 27, 2013, libraries all over the country present events, activities, and resources that highlight what we can do, individually and together, to preserve our personal and shared collections.

More than 4.8 billion artifacts are held in public trust by more than 30,000 archives, historical societies, libraries, museums, scientific research collections and archaeological repositories in the United States, with 1.3 billion of these items at risk of being lost.

ALA Youth Media Awards
Each year the American Library Association (ALA) honors books and media for children and teens. Recognized worldwide for the high quality they represent, ALA awards, including the prestigious Newbery, Caldecott, Printz, and Coretta Scott King Book Awards, guide parents, educators, librarians and others in selecting the best materials for youth.

School Library Funding
Good school libraries are essential to a good education. About 44 million elementary, middle, and high school students use a school library each week. Although considered a valued resource in many communities, funding for school libraries is being cut to satisfy local deficits, resulting in the loss of school librarian, materials and technology training.

2012 Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study Press Kit
The Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study (PLFTAS) is the largest and longest running study of its kind. The survey is conducted by the American Library Association (ALA), the University of Maryland-College Park and Florida State University. It is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and ALA. The study provides information from public libraries regarding their Internet connectivity, public computing, technology training, and other public library roles as public access technology centers in their communities.