Public Programs Office Contact Information

Contact Us

The ALA Public Programs Office is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (CT). For general inquires, please call, write or fax us at:

Phone: 312.280.5045
Fax: 312.280.5759
Email: publicprograms@ala.org

Mailing Address:
Public Programs Office (PPO)
American Library Association
225 N. Michigan Ave.
Suite 1300
Chicago, IL 60601

To suggest a partnership or program opportunity, please fill out ALA’s Request for Collaboration Form.


Meet PPO's Staff

Director 

Melanie Welch (she/her)

Phone: 312.280.5054
Email: mwelch@ala.org

Contact Melanie with general inquiries regarding the ALA Public Programs Office, the ALA Public and Cultural Programs Advisory Committee (PCPAC), the ALA Cultural Communities Fund, and support for library programming through partnerships, sponsorships, grants,and donations.

 


Deputy Director

Sarah Ostman (she/her)
Phone: 312.280.5061
Email: sostman@ala.org

Contact Sarah with inquiries related to ProgrammingLibrarian.org, including story ideas and blogging opportunities. Questions regarding Thinking Money for KidsAmericans and the Holocaust, the National Impact of Library Public Programs Assessment, and Exploring Human Origins should be directed to Sarah. Media should contact Sarah for more information about PPO grant offerings and programs.


 

Project Director

Samantha Oakley (she/her)
Phone: 312.280.5287
Email: soakley@ala.org

Contact Samantha with questions regarding Libraries Transforming CommunitiesLet's Talk About ItMedia Literacy Education in Libraries for Adult Audiences, Community Connect, ALA PPO's annual grant opportunities, online learning, evaluation, and partnership inquires.

 


Project Director

Brian Russell (he/him)
Phone: 312.280.5298
Email: brussell@ala.org

Contact Brian with questions regarding ALA Apply, the Public Programs Office's grant management system, partnership inquiries and for questions regarding Thinking Money for Kids, World on the Move: 250,000 Years of Human Migration, the Great Stories Club (GSC), and the STAR Net STEAM Equity Project

 


Communications Specialist

Hannah Arata (she/her)
Phone: 312.280.3272

Email: harata@ala.org 

Contact Hannah with questions or ideas for the ProgrammingLibrarian.org website and for questions regarding communications and promotional materials for PPO's grant opportunities.

 


Program Officer

BeeBee Cooper Browne (they/she) (prefix/honorific: Mx. Browne)

Phone: 312.280.5053
Email: bbrowne@ala.org

Contact BeeBee with questions regarding ALA Apply, the Public Programs Office's grant management system, with general questions about PPO as well as questions regarding Community Connect.

 


Program Officer

Emily (Em) Gallaugher (they/them) (honorific: Mx.)

Phone: 312.280.5057

Email: egallaugher@ala.org 

Contact Emily with general questions about PPO as well as questions regarding the Sara Jaffarian School Library Program AwardLet’s Talk About It: Women’s Suffrage, Teaching with Primary Sources: Women’s Suffrage, World on the Move: 250,000 Years of Human Migration, and Great Stories Club (GSC).

 


Program Officer

Meghan Gieseker (she/her)

Phone: 312.280.5286

Email: mgieseker@ala.org

Contact Meghan with general questions about PPO as well as questions regarding the National Impact of Library Public Programs Assessment, Peggy Barber Tribute GrantExploring Human Origins, the STAR Net STEAM Equity Project, Media Literacy for Adults: Architecture of the Internet, and Thinking Money for Kids.


Program Officer

Kaileen McGourty (she/her)

Phone: 312.280.5055

Email: kmcgourty@ala.org

Contact Kaileen with general questions about PPO as well as questions regarding Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities, Community Connect, Americans and the Holocaust, and the Libraries Transforming Communities: Engagement Grant.