ProgrammingLibrarian.org debuts new features, e-newsletter

Contact: Angela Thullen
Program Officer, Communications
312-280-5286
athullen@ala.org

NEWS
For Immediate Release,
February 09, 2010                                                                                                                                                                                                      

ProgrammingLibrarian.org debuts new features, e-newsletter

CHICAGO – The American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office recently launched new features and a monthly e-newsletter for its Web site, ProgrammingLibrarian.org.  Designed for librarians who plan and present cultural programs and events, ProgrammingLibrarian.org is both a resource center and a community of librarians committed to bringing increased access to literature, music, contemporary issues, art, history, poetry, scholars, writers and musicians to their communities.

New features of ProgrammingLibrarian.org include:

  • Job listings for librarians who plan, promote and present cultural programs and events for the public.
  • Monthly featured library, highlighting the inventive and inspiring work of local practitioners.
  • Regular, in-depth feature articles, discussing current trends and best practices in developing library programming. 
This month, ProgrammingLibrarian.org features a series of articles on copyright essentials for presenting cultural programs to the public.

In order to keep up with new content on ProgrammingLibrarian.org, and to stay informed of upcoming grant opportunities, current job listings and new programming resources, ProgrammingLibrarian.org offers a new, monthly e-newsletter.  To sign up, visit http://www.programminglibrarian.org/newsletter_signup. 

As development continues on ProgrammingLibrarian.org, users can look forward to finding new resources to assist them in planning and implementing cultural programs, including an online mechanism to create print-quality promotional pieces, model reading and discussion series and opportunities for users to contribute their own content, creating an environment for support and collaboration among librarians.

Development of the site is funded by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Service to the ALA Public Programs Office, which fosters cultural programming as an integral part of library service in public, academic, school and special libraries.  In keeping with that mission, ProgrammingLibrarian.org offers librarians timely and valuable information to support libraries in the creation of high-quality cultural programs for their communities.  

The ALA Public Programs Office promotes cultural and community programming as an essential part of library service in all types and sizes of libraries. Successful library programming initiatives have included “Let’s Talk About It” reading and discussion series, traveling exhibitions, film discussion programs, the Great Stories CLUB, Live! @ your library and more.  In 2002, the ALA Public Programs Office established the Cultural Communities Fund, an endowment to support all types of libraries bring communities together through cultural programming ( www.ala.org/ccf).  For more information about the ALA Public Programs Office, visit www.ala.org/publicprograms.