Press Releases

Oct 01: Getting started with evaluation

CHICAGO — Everyone agrees that evaluation of library services is essential, but without a background in research it can be a challenge to apply abstract concepts such as strategic planning, evidence-based decision making and accountability to real-world situations.  With the...

Oct 01: Call for LLAMA webinar proposals for Winter/Spring 2014

CHICAGO - Do you have a good idea for a webinar topic? Now you can share your expertise and reach a wide and diverse audience by presenting a LLAMA webinar. The Library Leadership and Management Association (LLAMA) is now accepting webinar proposals for January – April...

Oct 01: AASL awarded IMLS National Leadership Grant

CHICAGO – The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) has been awarded a National Leadership Grant for Libraries from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). AASL’s “Causality: School Libraries and Student Success (CLASS)” national research forum is...

Oct 01: AASL members name finalists in National Book Festival Summer Writing Contest

CHICAGO – Forty members of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) participated in the "A Book That Shaped Me" Library of Congress National Book Festival Summer Writing Contest as first round panel judges. The program, now in its second year, asks rising 5th and 6th...

Oct 01: EBSCO offers five scholarships to librarians attending 2014 ALA Midwinter Meeting

CHICAGO — The American Library Association (ALA) and EBSCO are partnering to offer five scholarships for librarians to attend the 2014 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia. The meeting takes place Jan. 24 - 28, 2014 and offers an opportunity for continuing education, meetings and...

Oct 01: Apply now for $5,000 award for excellence in library programming

CHICAGO — The American Library Association (ALA) is now accepting nominations for the ALA Excellence in Library Programming Award, sponsored by the ALA Cultural Communities Fund. The award recognizes a library that has...

Oct 01: ALA PPO and OIF co-sponsor free webinar for “Muslim Journeys” grantees

CHICAGO — Islam is the second most widely practiced faith in the world, and international news items focus on events in Muslim-majority societies daily. Librarians face the unique challenge of reaching patrons with requested information and programming regarding this often unfamiliar...

Oct 01: Registration now open for ASCLA Midwinter workshops

CHICAGO - Registration opened Oct. 1 for three institutes covering online course design, the secrets to successful leadership and how to become a library consultant  that will be hosted by the Association of Specialized...

Oct 01: RUSA online courses offer significant value

CHICAGO - The Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) has several upcoming online courses that will be of significant value to public, academic and special librarians, as well as library school students; topics to be...

Oct 01: Online application for AASL’s National School Library Program of the Year Award now open

CHICAGO – The online application for the American Association of School Librarians’ (AASL) 2014 National School Library Program of the Year (NSLPY) Award is now open. Schools and school districts interested in applying can access the application using AASL’s...

Oct 01: Registration, housing now open for 2014 Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits

CHICAGO — Registration and housing are now open for 2014 ALA Midwinter Meeting and Exhibits in Philadelphia, Jan. 24-28. “The conversation starts here . . . ” every year at Midwinter Meeting, where you’ll find the usual gold-standard networking; updates on research,...

Sep 30: ALA announces slate of Council candidates

The American Library Association (ALA) announces the following individuals as candidates for positions on the ALA Council.  These individuals were nominated by the Nominating Committee for the 2014 ALA Election:

Denice C. Adkins, Associate...

Sep 30: Award-winning children’s book creators in ERT/Booklist Author Forum, 2014 ALA Midwinter Meeting

CHICAGO - In an unmissable ERT/Booklist Author Forum at the 2014 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia, five acclaimed children’s book creators — Tonya Bolden, Brian Floca, Kadir Nelson, Steve Sheinkin and Melissa Sweet — join fellow author and...

Sep 27: American Library Association announces collaboration with Sharjah International Book Fair

CHICAGO — Building on its global theme, “Partnering to build stronger libraries worldwide, the American Library Association (ALA) is delighted to announce a new collaboration with Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF).

The collaboration between...

Sep 24: Libraries celebrate Library Card Sign-up Month

CHICAGO  —   September  is Library Card Sign-up Month. Throughout the month libraries across the country have been working hard to remind parents and caregivers that a library is the most important school supply children and teens can have in achieving academic success....

Sep 24: YALSA announces 2013 Teen Read Week™ Grant recipients

CHICAGO — The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), has announced the 10 recipients of its 2013 Teen Read Week Grant.

The grants, generously funded by the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, are $1,000 each and will...

Sep 24: Using data to make your case and get results

CHICAGO — Administrators, policymakers, legislators and the public demand concrete, measurable evidence of library use and why they are needed. The collection and dissemination of data about library service in a straightforward, convincing manner are integral components of library advocacy...

Sep 24: Participate in the ALA Virtual Town Hall on Ebooks

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Join the ebook library lending discussion by registering for the American Library Association’s...

Sep 24: Voting period opens to name the AASL13 conference daily

CHICAGO – Four finalists have been chosen in the contest to name the American Association of School Librarians’ (AASL) 16th National Conference & Exhibition on-site daily newspaper. AASL members and conference attendees can now vote at ...

Sep 24: Apply now for ACRL’s Immersion ’14 Program

CHICAGO — The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) is accepting applications for its Information Literacy Immersion ’14 Program. Complete program details and application materials are on the ACRL website. The...

Sep 24: ACRL seeks nominations for 2014 awards

CHICAGO - For more than three-quarters of a century, the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) has been committed to celebrating the achievements of academic and research librarians through the presentation of awards, grants and fellowships. With almost $35,000 donated...

Sep 24: Bringing the arts into the library

CHICAGO — Using a library’s facilities to bring arts to the community is not only a valuable service, but also a wonderful marketing and outreach opportunity, a tangible way to show the public that libraries offer value, thus shoring up grassroots support. For “...

Sep 24: ACRL funds 2013 Spectrum Scholar Jessica Bastian

CHICAGO – As part of its commitment to furthering diversity in librarianship, the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) is supporting Jessica Bastian as its 2013-14 Spectrum Scholar. Bastian attends the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University of...

Sep 23: How to include families of children with special needs

CHICAGO — More than 6.5 million children in the US receive special education services; in any given community, approximately one child out of every six will get speech therapy, go to counseling, attend classes exclusively with other children with disabilities or receive some other service...

Sep 23: AASL member Deven Black receives inaugural school librarian Bammy Award

CHICAGO – American Association of School Librarians (AASL) member Deven Black was named the 2013 Bammy Award recipient in the inaugural school librarian category. Presented by the Academy of Education Arts and Sciences International, the Bammy award is a cross-discipline award recognizing...

Sep 20: Banned Books Week Heroes unveiled during Virtual Read-Out

CHICAGO — Readers from across the United States and around the world will demonstrate their support for free speech by participating in a Virtual Read-Out of banned and challenged books during Banned Books Week, Sept. 22 – 28, a time when the nation celebrates the freedom to read and...

Sep 18: ALA calls for leap forward in E-rate goals; streamlined program

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Monday, the American Library Association (ALA) asked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to accelerate deployment of the high-capacity broadband needed to serve...

Sep 17: LLAMA webinar helps with library security and safety

CHICAGO — When a simple “Shhh” isn’t enough, a knowledgeable approach to library security and safety can be a lifesaver.  The Library Leadership and Management Association (LLAMA) will present “Library Security: The Basics and Beyond” from 1:30 - 3 p...

Sep 17: Past President John W. Berry appointed ALA representative to the Board of Trustees of the American Library in Paris

CHICAGO - American Library Association (ALA) Past President John W. Berry has been appointed to a two-year term as the ALA's non-voting representative to the Board of Trustees of the American Library in Paris (ALP).

The ALA established...