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In response to results of the 2024 United States election, the American Library Association vowed to continue its defense of the core values of librarianship in the face of political threats. 

ALA has reached out to library associations in states affected by recent hurricanes. Please support local relief efforts and consider a donation to the ALA Disaster Relief Fund for damaged or destroyed libraries.

The American Library Association has released preliminary data documenting attempts to censor books and materials in public, school, and academic libraries during the first eight months of 2024.

The American Library Association, with $200,000 in support from the Ford Foundation, announces its latest initiative Libraries Transforming Communities: Community Catalysts: Libraries as Leaders in Bridging Divides.

ALA's key mission areas: Diversity, Equity of Access, Education and Continuous Learning, Intellectual Freedom, and Literacy

The ALA Mission

The mission of the American Library Association is to provide leadership for the development, promotion, and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.

Get Involved

ALA is the largest membership association in the library industry. It's a community of people working together to ensure that libraries remain vital centers of literacy, access, and opportunity.

By giving to ALA, you are helping us improve library and information services and the profession of librarianship to ensure access to information for all.

Fight Censorship: Take Action Against Book Bans

Book Résumés help librarians, parents, and community members defend books from censorship. They detail each title’s significance and educational value and are easy to share with administrators, review committees, and elected officials.

Bookmark this link!

ALA compiles data on book challenges from reports filed by library professionals in the field and from news stories published throughout the United States.

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Your front line reports help ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom to stay on top of trends and supply library workers with resources to combat censorship. You can also help get the word out and encourage reporting of book censorship.

Report a challenge.

Resource Quick Links

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Programming Resources

The American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office empowers libraries to create vibrant hubs of learning and connection in communities of all types.

Learn more about the ALA Public Programs Office

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ALA's Programming Librarian website is a place for library professionals to share, learn, and be inspired to present excellent programming for their communities.

Browse the Programming Librarian website

illustration for News, Press, and Media

News and Press Center

For more than 140 years, the American Library Association has been the trusted voice for all libraries, advocating for the profession and the library's role in enhancing learning and ensuring access to information for all.

Contact the ALA Communications, Marketing, and Media Relations team to learn more about ALA positions and actions and get comprehensive insights into key issues facing libraries nationwide.

Visit the News and Press Center

ALA Connect logo featuring speech bubbles and the tagline "Engage. Learn. Grow."

ALA Connect

Discussion boards and shared libraries provide collaboration tools connecting more than 50,000 library professionals with a wide variety of interests and specialization is the place to share ideas and make new connections with library workers across the globe.

Complete your profile and grow your online professional network at ALA Connect!

Upcoming eLearning Opportunities

12
Nov
eLearning

November 2024 Learning Live: Learn tips and best practices for both small and large Friends groups.

15
Oct
eLearning
Webinar

Capture new ideas, affirm old ones, and connect with fellow members in this series of fast-paced exchanges.

15
Oct
eLearning
Webinar

Capture new ideas, affirm old ones, and connect with fellow members in this series of fast-paced exchanges.

19
Nov
eLearning
Webinar

Learn how Benchmark, PLA’s interactive data visualization and peer comparison tool, can support your library in everyday

19
Nov
eLearning
Webinar

Learn how Benchmark, PLA’s interactive data visualization and peer comparison tool, can support your library in everyday

20
Nov
eLearning

Have you ever thought about working in resource sharing, but weren't sure how to get started? Have you ended up in

20
Nov
eLearning

This webinar seeks to foster a basic understanding of Copyright, emphasizing content creators. It will provide an

21
Nov
eLearning
Webinar

Learn about difficulties people with hearing loss experience and different strategies for communication and

21
Nov
eLearning
Webinar

Learn about difficulties people with hearing loss experience and different strategies for communication and

03
Dec
eLearning

This webinar will explore the technical and political processes of overhauling and streamlining LibGuides and an A-Z

10
Dec
eLearning

December 2024 Learning Live: Hone your storytelling skills.

15
Oct
eLearning
Webinar

Capture new ideas, affirm old ones, and connect with fellow members in this series of fast-paced exchanges.

15
Oct
eLearning
Webinar

Capture new ideas, affirm old ones, and connect with fellow members in this series of fast-paced exchanges.

11
Dec
Webinar

Learn what three high-immigrant population city libraries in Germany are doing to serve immigrant and refugee

18
Dec
eLearning
Webinar

Learn how Fred Rogers’ work can inform the evaluation of library services and support the wellbeing of library staff.

18
Dec
eLearning
Webinar

Learn how Fred Rogers’ work can inform the evaluation of library services and support the wellbeing of library staff.

21
Jan
eLearning

This webinar shows how to draw from new approaches and technologies to harness experimentation as a tool for testing

Upcoming Events

14
Nov
16
Nov
Conference

The Core Forum will take place November 14-16, 2024, in Minneapolis, Minnesota! Registration is now open!

02
Apr
05
Apr
Conference

ACRL 2025 features more 500 carefully curated programs designed to meet the needs of the academic and research library

16
Oct
18
Oct
Conference

The AASL National Conference is the only national conference dedicated solely to school librarians and their unique role

07
Nov
Celebration

Resources to share information about Election Day with learners in your school library.

Awards, Grants, and Scholarships

Winners display their books at the 2023 Youth Media Awards

ALA Awards

From captivating storytelling to groundbreaking research, the ALA Awards program showcases the best in literature and media.

Visit the Book and Media Awards home page

ALA Professional Recognition Awards honor individuals and institutions that have made significant contributions to the advancement of library science and services.

Visit the Professional Recognition Awards home page

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ALA Grants

ALA Grants invest in the future of libraries and librarianship through the funding of programming, research, and professional development. Grants may be offered to support the planning and implementation of programs, to promote research in library and information sciences, to assist with conference and travel fees, and more.

Visit the ALA Grants home page

ALA Scholarship Program logo with university building

ALA Scholarships

The American Library Association and its units provide more than $300,000 annually for study in a master's degree in library and information studies from an ALA-accredited program, or for a master's degree with a specialty in school librarianship that meets the ALA curriculum guidelines for a CAEP-accredited unit.

The scholarship process is open annually from September 1st - March 1st.

Go to ALA Scholarships Home

Underserved populations frequently do not have access to a library—or they may even be unaware that they have an information need. How can we as a profession effectively reach them?

Visit the Graphics Gift Shop for all-new Vintage ALA items--t-shirts, hoodies, tote bags, pencil pouches, stickers, and more!

Designed to support state curricula and teaching standards, this full-color book combines facsimiles of primary sources from the Library of Congress's unparalleled collections with teaching strategies and mroe resources.

Whether it's a hardcover or paperback, an audiobook, or eBook, it's all reading! Display this poster to celebrate and promote reading in a variety of formats.