ALA Recommended Websites
List of recommended and award-winning Web sites and online resources for all ages, along with Internet use and safety tips for parents and Internet use policy help for librarians, trustees, and educators. Includes guidance for using social media.
This page is compiled by the ALA Library. Contact us at library@ala.org with any questions.
For Children | For Young Adults/Teens | Online Reference Resources | For Families, Parents | For Librarians, Trustees, and Educators | ALA Events Promoting Use of Technology
News Spotlight Lists
ALSC's (Association for Library Service to Children) Great Websites for Kids relaunches with fresh new design (December 2011)
AASL (American Association of School Librarians) designates Wednesday, September 28, 2011, as Banned Websites Awareness Day (August 2011)
More Great Web Sites for Kids from ALSC (Association for Library Service to Children) (June 2011)
Best Free Reference Web Sites 2011 - 13th Annual List (June 2011)
Every Child Ready to Read® launches new website (May 2011)
Unique online history tool "Digital Harlem" wins award from RUSA (April 2011)
Online encyclopedia NCPedia wins 2011 RUSA reference award (March 2011)
ALA Connect - Virtual collaborative workspace from the American Library Association, for use by members with established ALA web login, as well as for use by non-members with free site registration
ALA FAQs - Frequently Answered Questions about libraries in the USA and the American Library Association
ALA Online Learning - Access ALA's wide range of library-related online learning–covering fundamentals, advances, trends, and hot topics at ALA Online Learning. What is Online Learning? Education delivered via a computer, using the internet via a web-browser, and perhaps another software for coursework, video or audio files. It may occur once or at regular intervals over several weeks, be downloadable anytime, or require a reservation to participate. The many options for online education are available throughout ALA Online Learning. When you select a topic, you will see a list of titles that may be available as e-forums, webinars, courses, or recorded webcasts. Clicking on the title will take you to details about the online learning opportunity, such as date, time, instructor, and fees. New ALA Online Learning offerings are being developed all the time, so if you do not see what you need, or if you have questions about this page or ALA Online Learning, please contact onlinelearning@ala.org
ALA Professional Tips Wiki -- The ALA Professional Tips Wiki, compiled chiefly by the staff of the ALA Library, serves several purposes: providing a pathfinder to the rich resources of the ALA website; gathering our responses to your questions; and enabling the library community to share new resources for getting our jobs done
ALA's ReadWriteConnect Wiki -- ALA's ReadWriteConnect Wiki lists all of the blogs, wikis, RSS feeds, podcasts, Twitter accounts, Facebook Groups and Pages, etc., of the American Library Association, basically all of our "next generation" online tools that help us communicate better with our members and the public. Using a wiki for the site itself helps us keep the lists as current as possible since anyone can add to them. If you have questions about the ALA ReadWriteConnect Wiki, please contact Jenny Levine.
Ask the ALA Librarian: Q&A from the ALA Headquarters Library - Blog with answers to various library-related questions by the staff of the Library of the American Library Association
PLA Tech Notes - Tech Notes are PLA (Public Library Association, a division of ALA) publications introducing specific technologies for public librarians. If there is a specific technology that you'd like to know more about, send us an e-mail at pla@pla.org and we will add it to our list for consideration. Current list of technlogy topics covered, in alphabetical order:
Access Tools for the Physically, Visually, and Aurally Impaired; Blogs and Wikis; Digital Assets Management; Digital Object Identifier (DOI); Disaster Planning for Computers and Networks; Discovery Platforms; E-Commerce for Libraries; eContent; Educational Software; Electronic Resources Management; Evaluating Electronic Products and Services; Filtering Technology and CIPA Compliance; Games and Gaming in Libraries; Geographic Information Systems (GIS); Institutional Repositories; Internet and WAN Access Options; Intranets and Extranets; Library Portals; Materials Handling Systems in Libraries; Metadata; Mobile Computer Devices in Libraries; Negotiating Contracts with Database Vendors; Negotiating Contracts with Integrated Library System Vendors; Network Management; Open Source Software; "Open Source" Integrated Library System Software; Open URL; PC Reservation and Print Management Software; Remote Conferencing; Report Writers; Rethinking Library Statistics in a Changing Environment; RFID Technology; Social Networking Sites and Libraries; Software as a Service (SAAS); Unicode; Virtual Reference; Voice Over IP (VOIP); Web Services; Wireless LANs
For Children
- Great Interactive Software for Kids (formerly Notable Computer Software for Children) lists were terminated in 2010. To view past lists, visit ALA's awards database.
- Great Web Sites for Kids -- http://www.ala.org/greatsites or http://gws.ala.org
- KCTools: KidsConnect's research toolbox for students
For Young Adults/Teens
- Humorous Web Sites for Teens (from LOL @ your library)
- Social Media: A Guide for Teens (PDF Brochure; updated 2011 version)
- Web Sites for Teens (from Get Real! @ your library)
Online Reference Resources
- Unique online history tool "Digital Harlem" wins award from RUSA - ABC-CLIO Online History Award, with complete list of all previous winners, from 2005 to the present. The award, offered every other year from RUSA, the Reference and User Services Association, beginning in 2005, seeks to encourage the development of freely available, sustainable online history resources by singling out innovative projects and the individuals who created them.
- Best Free Reference Web Sites 2011, 13th Annual List - This is an annual series initiated under the auspices of the Machine-Assisted Reference Section (MARS) of the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) of ALA to recognize outstanding reference sites on the World Wide Web.
- Best Historical Materials (2011) (PDF) - This year the Historical Materials Committee deviated from our regular practice of highlighting the current, best bibliographies and websites. Instead we suggest an admittedly eclectic list of free online bibliographies/databases. Some entries are established bibliographies, while others may be newer. Some have internal search engines and others are traditional static listings of categories and citations. The topics they cover are narrow and broad, international and local, and simple and complex. We hope that you find some interesting resources in our list.
- Best of the Best Business Websites (Free Resources) - Best of the Best Business Websites selections are now available as Libguides. Each of the following categories provides a listing of significant sites that are themselves content rich in nature:
- Encyclopedia Update, 2011: Online Encyclopedias (September 15, 2011 issue of ALA's Booklist) - The online encyclopedias available from Britannica, Grolier, and World Book offer an array of content and features, and we dug into each to put together the following summaries. The publishers supplied information about changes since our last "Encyclopedia Update," in September 2010. Some online features and tools—an atlas, a time line, current news, web links, bibliographic citations in several formats, print and e-mail functions—are standard. The focus here is on the key things that differentiate each product. All the following sites were last accessed on August 2, 2011.
- Online encyclopedia NCPedia wins 2011 RUSA reference award - Gale Cengage Learning Award for Excellence in Reference and Adult Library Services, with complete list of all previous winners, from 1991 to the present. Presented to a library or library system for developing an imaginative and unique resource to meet patrons' reference needs.
- Outstanding Reference Sources - Online reference resources appear on the 2011 Outstanding Reference Sources and 2010 Outstanding Reference Sources lists. The Reference and User Services Association (RUSA, a division of ALA) recommends the most outstanding reference publications for small and medium-sized libraries. Updated yearly.
- Reference on the Web: Online Dictionaries (May 15, 2010 issue of ALA's Booklist) - Recommended free online dictionaries for providing a definition, pronunciation, etymology, and written and audio pronunciation of a word, compiled by Christine Bulson. The dictionaries were last accessed on March 30, 2010.
- Selected Core Resources (Core Competencies for Business Reference) - Sponsored by the BRASS (Business Reference and Services Section) Education Committee of the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA, a division of ALA), a list of subject specific core resources in the major disciplines in business: Accounting (Now available on Libguides); Advertising and Marketing; Banking; Company and Industry Research (Now available on Libguides); Insurance; International Business; Investment and Finance (Now available on Libguides); Jobs and Human Resources; Small Business (Now available on Libguides); Taxation
- Spring E-reference Update, 2011: Part 1; Databases (April 15, 2011 issue of ALA's Booklist): We asked reference database publishers "What's new?" and they responded with the following information about new databases as well as significant updates and enhancements to existing databases. Information is effective February through July 2011.
- Spring E-reference Update, 2011: Part 2; E-books (May 1, 2011 issue of ALA's Booklist): Most reference publishers now publish their titles in e (electronic) as well as p (print) versions. Several have also developed e-book platforms, and a few have become aggregators. Here, in part 2 of our "Spring E-reference Update," we provide a snapshot of the content available on the e-book platforms of various reference publishers.
- Using Primary Sources on the Web - This brief guide from the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA, a division of ALA) is designed to provide students and researchers with information to help them evaluate the internet sources and the quality of primary materials that can be found online.
- Web Site of the Week - Archive for the "Web Resources" Category of ALA's Points of Reference: A Booklist Blog - A team of front-line experts writes about reference sources and trends in reference publishing and services.
Best Free Reference Web Sites Annual List Archive (1999-2010)
Best Historical Materials (2010) - Each year members of the Historical Materials Committee, RUSA History Section identify and review valuable and unique English-language print bibliographies and websites of interest to the historical community. With the increase in free and fee-based electronic indexes and databases, both the production and value of lengthy print bibliographies have diminished. However, this year the group selected three print bibliographies and four websites for inclusion in our annual list. All websites are freely available, and as far as we can determine, recently created (2008–10). The print bibliographies were all published in 2009. Reviews of these recommended sources were all completed in April 2010.
For Families, Parents
- Especially for Young People and Their Parents -- ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF). Also see Larry Magid at CNET Safe and Secure Blog for latest information.
- Every Child Ready to Read® (ECRR) - Online companion to the Every Child Ready to Read® @ your library® 2nd Edition Toolkit, developed by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) and the Public Library Association (PLA)
- How School Library Media Specialists Can Assist You: Internet Safety and Filtering (Created by the 2009 class of Emerging Leaders) - American Association of School Librarians (AASL, a division of ALA)
- Navigating the 'Net With Your Kids (PDF Brochure) - This brochure is a 2008 project of the Children & Technology Committee of the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association.
- Recommended Games - Lists of recommended video games at ALA's AtYourLibrary.org
- Resources for Children and Their Parents and Educators: Dealing with the Tragic Events of September 11, 2001: Web Sites to Help Children and Adults. Resources that were compiled to aid parents, teachers and caregivers in discussing with children and teens the terrorist attacks that took place in New York City, Washington, DC, and Pennsylvania on Tuesday, September 11, 2001.
- Sites for Parents, Caregivers, Teachers & Others of the Great Web Sites for Kids
- Senior Sites on the Web (Sites for Seniors) - List of links compiled in 2008 by members of the Library Services to an Aging Population Committee of the Reference Services Section (RSS) of the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA, a division of ALA), in the following categories: Organizations; Health Resources; Elder Law/Elder Abuse; Estate/Retirement Planning; Magazines; Searchable Sites/Directories; Of General Interest to Seniors.
- To Filter or Not: The Pros and Cons of Using Parental Control Software - American Association of School Librarians (AASL, a division of ALA)
For Librarians, Trustees, and Educators
- AASL (American Association of School Librarians, a division of ALA) Best Websites for Teaching and Learning -- http://www.ala.org/aasl/bestlist
- AASL - Standards for the 21st-Century Learner (link to free PDF versions)
- ACRL (Association of College and Research Libraries, a division of ALA) TechConnect - ACRL TechConnect is your source for technology-related content from the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) and C&RL News magazine. For your convenience, we’ve identified all the ACRL events, professional development opportunities, publications, articles, podcasts, and communities that are technology-related. Visit ACRL TechConnect frequently to see what's new, especially in the C&RL News Column and in Articles, Books, and Podcasts.
- ALA Island in Second Life - ALA Island is the Second Life virtual world presence of the American Library Association
- ALA Library Fact Sheet 29 - Links to Library Web Resources
- "Best of Show" for Library's Web Page/Home Page, which was first presented in 2006, of the Library Leadership Administration and Management Association's Public Relations and Marketing Section (LLAMA PRMS) PR XChange Committee (formerly known as Swap and Shop)
- Children and the Internet: Policies that Work, edited by Linda Braun, LEO: Librarians & Educators Online -- Children and the Internet: Policies that Work is successor to the 1998 Children and the Internet: Guidelines for Developing Public Library Policy, published by the then American Library Trustee Association (ALTA) -- which is now known as the Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations (ALTAFF), the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), and the Public Library Association (PLA).
- College Library Web Site of the Month chosen approximately every month by the College Libraries Section of ALA's Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL, a division of ALA).
- E-Government Toolkit - E-Government is defined as the use of technology, particularly the Internet, as a means to deliver government services and to facilitate the interaction of the public with government entities. This toolkit has tips and guidance to assist librarians in planning, managing, funding and promoting E-Government services.
- Ethics in a Digital World: Using Policies to Guide Professional and Personal Presence in Social Networking Spaces (PDF) - A Presentation of the ALA Committee on Professional Ethics in Washington, D.C., June 27, 2010 (handout: select bibliography).
- Internet & Technology Web Resources - Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC, a division of ALA). These Web sites offer resources about children and the Internet and educational technology.
- KIDS! @ your library® Campaign Tool Kit which includes Games, puzzles, and other fun things for kids to do @ your library® - Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC, a division of ALA)
- Libraries and the Internet Toolkit: Tips and Guidance for Managing and Communicating about the Internet - ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF)
- Library Reference, Research, and Resources: Tools for the Librarian from the ALA Library
- Online Social Networks - ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF)
- PRIMO; Peer-Reviewed Instructional Materials Online - PRIMO, a committee of the ACRL (Association opf College and Research Libraries, a division of ALA) Instruction Section, promotes and shares peer-reviewed instructional materials created by librarians to teach people about discovering, accessing and evaluating information in networked environments. The PRIMO Committee hopes that publicizing selective, high quality resources will help librarians to respond to the educational challenges posed by still emerging digital technologies.
- RDA: Resource Description and Access Toolkit - The resource to help you navigate from AACR2 to RDA—the new, unified standard for resource description and access, designed for the digital world and an expanding universe of metadata users. The free two-day Webinar, RDA Toolkit -- A Guided Tour, presented February 8-9, 2010, is freely available as two hourlong videos that can be viewed online at any time. The content of RDA has been developed in a collaborative process led by the Joint Steering Committee (JSC). The project is overseen by the Committee of Principals representing American Library Association, Canadian Library Association, CILIP: Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, Library of Congress, Library and Archives Canada, British Library, and National Library of Australia. The RDA Toolkit is published by American Library Association, Canadian Library Association, and CILIP (through its publishing imprint Facet Publishing).
- Sites for Parents, Caregivers, Teachers & Others of the Great Web Sites for Kids
- Social Networking Guide by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL, a division of ALA)
- Statement of Commitment to Excellence in Library Service to Children in a Technological Age - Recognizing that the Internet has raised concerns about children's access to potentially harmful material, the Association for Library Service to Children affirms the commitment of children's librarians across America to ensuring a positive library experience for children.
- Technology Made Simple: An Improvement Guide for Small and Medium Libraries Web Extra by Kimberly Bolan and Rob Cullin - This companion website to the Technology Made Simple: An Improvement Guide for Small and Medium Libraries publication by Kimberly Bolan and Rob Cullin has been created to supplement the book and to help increase its usability and effectiveness.
- Teens & Social Media in School & Public Libraries: A Toolkit for Librarians & Library Workers (PDF) - Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA, a division of ALA), updated February 2011.
- Websites and Web Accessibility pages at the ALA Professional Tips Wiki, compiled by the ALA Library
- YALSA Handouts and Flyers: Advocacy Tools | Canned Presentations | Bibliographies, Competencies, and Guidelines | Membership | Professional Development | Teen Reading | Technology. YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association, a division of ALA) offers several downloadable resources about its events and resources. You can download these presentations, handouts, and flyers for use at conferences, presentations, workshops, and other events.
- YALSA's Professional Tools - YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association, a division of ALA) developed the tools on this page -- Career Development; Recruitment; Toolkits and Bibliographies; Collection Development Tools; and Online Resources -- to help school librarians, young adult specialists, and others who work in libraries with their work with teens. Please use the resources listed on this site to find practical tools for your day-to-day work, as well as tools for developing your career.
- AASL Landmark Websites for Teaching and Learning
- AASL Top 25 Websites for Teaching and Learning -- see past AASL Top 25 lists
- PRIMO Database: The database of instructional resources reviewed and selected by the PRIMO Committee. PRIMO is a means to promote and share peer-reviewed instructional materials created by librarians to teach people about discovering, accessing and evaluating information in networked environments. The Committee hopes that publicizing selective, high quality resources will help librarians to respond to the educational challenges posed by still emerging digital technologies.
- Site of the Month: Monthly series of in-depth profiles of projects recently added into the PRIMO database. Each Site of the Month interview offers insights and ideas from the creators and developers of those projects.
ALA Events Promoting Use of Technology
Teen Tech Week - March 4-10, 2012: http://www.ala.org/teentechweek
Teen Tech Week is a national initiative sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association and is aimed at teens, their parents, educators and other concerned adults. The purpose of the initiative is to ensure that teens are competent and ethical users of technologies, especially those that are offered through libraries such as DVDs, databases, audiobooks, and videogames. Teen Tech Week encourages teens to use libraries' nonprint resources for education and recreation, and to recognize that librarians are qualified, trusted professionals in the field of information technology. Teen Tech Week began in 2007 and has a general theme of Get Connected @ your library. The event is held annually during the second week of March. Contact the ALA Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA, a division of ALA) with questions.
Library Snapshot Day - April 2012: http://www.ala.org/librarysnapshotday
Library Snapshot Day provides a way for libraries of all types across a state, region, system or community to show what happens in a single day in their libraries. This initiative provides an easy means to collect statistics, photos and stories that will enable library advocates to prove the value of their libraries to decision-makers and increase public awareness. ALA is again designating April as Library Snapshot Day in hopes of collecting statistics from across the United States to create a national snapshot. Contact Jaclyn Finneke, ALA Office for Library Advocacy with questions.
Choose Privacy Week - May 1-7, 2012: http://www.privacyrevolution.org
Choose Privacy Week, first observed by the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) in 2010, is an initiative that invites library users into a national conversation about privacy rights in a digital age. The campaign gives libraries the tools they need to educate and engage users, and gives citizens the resources to think critically and make more informed choices about their privacy. Contact the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) with questions.
Banned Websites Awareness Day - 2012 date to be announced: http://www.ala.org/aasl/bwad
In an extension of the observance of Banned Books Week, the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) designated Wednesday, September 28, 2011, as the first annual Banned Websites Awareness Day. By doing so, it's AASL's hope to bring attention to the overly aggressive filtering of educational and social websites used by students and educators. Contact the ALA American Association of School Librarians (AASL, a division of ALA) with questions.
Last updated: January 2012
This page is part of ALA Recommends... compiled by the ALA Library. Contact us at library@ala.org with any questions.
