The American Library Association launched a new supporter program on February 10, inviting the public to join the fight to protect libraries and library professionals at this pivotal moment in our country’s history.
Sharing stories about the impact of your library is one of the best ways to garner support from elected officials. Your government leaders need to know how your community relies on the library, and the funding that supports the library!
Read about the winners of the 2025 ALA Youth Media Awards — the top books, digital media, and audiobooks for children and young adults — including the Caldecott, Newbery, Coretta Scott King, and Printz awards.
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.
Sign up to receive critical action alerts and advocacy updates on issues affecting libraries.

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.

Read the Latest Issue
Read the January/February 2025 issue of American Libraries, which includes a preview of ALA’s LibLearnX conference, 2024’s library news in review, an interview with Grammy-nominated musician Neko Case, culinary programming for teens, building inclusive catalogs, and more.
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.
ALA compiles data on book challenges from reports filed by library professionals in the field and from news stories published throughout the United States.
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.
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.
More Resources for Librarians

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.
News and Press Resources

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!
News Around ALA

See all ALA News at the ALA News and Press Center

ALA vows to defend intellectual freedom and access to information against polit…

RUSA Virtual Forum: Meeting Users' Needs (EDIA)

Applications are open for ALA’s ‘Libraries Transforming Communities’ grants
Featured Jobs | ALA JobLIST
Job Opportunities at ALA!
Program Coordinator, Community Engagement, Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services (ODLOS)
Editorial Assistant, Booklist Publications
Executive Director, Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL)
Upcoming eLearning Opportunities
eLearning
Forum
Join this e-Forum to discuss your successes, your not-so-successful endeavors, and to learn how to incorporate project management solutions to best fit your needs through all the stages of a project. Both those
eLearning
A presentation on using book kits in libraries to promote conversations about racial equity and inclusion with children and families.
eLearning
This study aims to investigate the alignment between a university (UW-Madison) library’s resources and the research outputs of the university’s scholars.
eLearning
Forum
Join this e-Forum to discuss your successes, your not-so-successful endeavors, and to learn how to incorporate project management solutions to best fit your needs through all the stages of a project. Both those
eLearning
Webinar
Learn to create engaging spaces for library patrons of all ages from real-life examples and outcomes.
eLearning
Webinar
Learn to create engaging spaces for library patrons of all ages from real-life examples and outcomes.
eLearning
This webinar takes the US Army's Troop Leading Procedures and adapts them to a library setting, showing how they were successfully implemented in my institution's recent large weeding project.
eLearning
This 90 minute webinar will discuss the different paths to employement as a federal or military librarian.
eLearning
Move beyond “autism acceptance” and let your library become a place of autistic joy.
eLearning
Webinar
Learn best practices for cardholder registration that reduces barriers and increase access for all.
eLearning
Webinar
Learn best practices for cardholder registration that reduces barriers and increase access for all.
eLearning
February 2025 Learning Live
eLearning
Webinar
Learn how you can be a part of PLA’s renowned conference programming.
eLearning
Webinar
Learn how you can be a part of PLA’s renowned conference programming.
eLearning
Learn how to support your patrons who struggle with reading!
eLearning
March 2025 Learning Live
eLearning
This webinar will draw on both quantitative and qualitative data collected by the presenter from academic library staff and leaders over the last several years to identify barriers that both library staff and
eLearning
Webinar
Join this free virtual forum to get to know the candidates standing for president in the upcoming PLA election.
eLearning
Webinar
Join this free virtual forum to get to know the candidates standing for president in the upcoming PLA election.
eLearning
Today's libraries are challenged with engaging busy customers who see thousands of ads per day. This webinar will provide key promotional strategies for staff at all levels to increase customer engagement.
eLearning
Presenters will share their experiences in developing a tween summer camp, from planning, resourcing, and reaching the target audience and documentation of the process.
eLearning
Webinar
Trans librarians face a uniquely hostile work environment. Learn about supporting trans employees in their daily work.
eLearning
Webinar
Trans librarians face a uniquely hostile work environment. Learn about supporting trans employees in their daily work.
eLearning
The webinar will explore AI's expanding role in libraries & the LIS field, stressing the urgent need for librarians and professionals to develop AI literacy & stay at the forefront of this technological shift.
eLearning
Forum
Join this e-Forum to discuss system integrations, their challenges, tips and tricks for successful integrations between a library’s ILS and other systems and tools.
eLearning
This webinar will explore how librarians can use AI-powered writing assistants to improve their professional writing. Attendees will learn how to use these tools for various writing tasks.
eLearning
Forum
Join this e-Forum to discuss system integrations, their challenges, tips and tricks for successful integrations between a library’s ILS and other systems and tools.
eLearning
This 60 minute webinar will help make sense of historical newspapers and guide researchers to a better understanding of them as well.
eLearning
Transitioning from staff member to management, even as an assistant, can be tough. Come webinar panel of three managers ranging from Supervisor to Deputy Director where they discuss the transition to management
eLearning
Webinar
Learn ways to energize your summer library program in accordance with ALA’s sustainability guidelines.
eLearning
Webinar
Learn ways to energize your summer library program in accordance with ALA’s sustainability guidelines.
eLearning
A four week asynchronous course on project management.
eLearning
As linked data becomes more of a reality for the library community, OCLC has worked with libraries around the world to better understand how data, tools, and services can help integrate linked data
eLearning
Attendees will be able to use the “what matters most” principles—People, Paper, POP!—to conceive a system that will work best with your staff, your community, and your library’s goals.
eLearning
Leading staff in an ever-changing, unpredictable environment can be difficult. In this session, we'll discuss the impact that coaching methods can have on building resilient employees and teams.
eLearning
Webinar
Learn about PLA Committees and Advisory Groups and how to increase your chances of being selected.
eLearning
Webinar
Learn about PLA Committees and Advisory Groups and how to increase your chances of being selected.
eLearning
Where can I find child support guidelines? What are the laws in Nevada on gun ownership? How do I copyright my name? Any librarian who serves the public is apt to get such questions. With no legal training
eLearning
Reference Interview is a comprehensive six-week asynchronous course focusing on the methods of evaluating reference services, behaviorial aspects of reference service.
eLearning
Webinar
Learn about PLA publication opportunities, including writing for Public Libraries magazine and PLA’s podcast.
eLearning
Webinar
Learn about PLA publication opportunities, including writing for Public Libraries magazine and PLA’s podcast.
eLearning
ecent research in the cultural heritage conservation field has identified arsenic and other toxic heavy metals in pigments used in 19th century book bindings. How hazardous are these materials, and what should
eLearning
As the transgender population increases in size and visibility, a resulting backlash has gripped America--and libraries are in the crossfire. Learn how and why anti-trans misinformation is created and spread
eLearning
In recent years, the traditional use of digital collections simply as proxies for the physical has shifted to a paradigm of viewing collections as data suitable for computational use and novel research methods.
eLearning
Connecting Information Literacy Efforts to Student Retention is a four-week asynchronous course discussing the difference a librarian makes as teachers of information literacy, study skills, time management
eLearning
The presentation will focus on the lived experience of a librarian who recently moved into a large middle management role at a sizable R1 institution, while adjusting to a new discovery of their neurodiversity.
eLearning
The Core Competencies for Cataloging & Metadata Professional Librarians provides an important framework to assess professional-level cataloging and metadata skills, knowledge, and behavior.
eLearning
Discovery products providing a single search interface to library collections have become industry standard in large academic libraries since their emergence in the late 2000's. This presentation begins to fill
eLearning
Neurodiversity within the librarian professional is often neglected as a subject of scholarly conversation. With higher rates of neurodivergent students approaching traditional college-age, it is more important
eLearning
Come and learn the best practices that are having an impact on the lives of so many community members across the nation through the healthy and sustainable libraries they have built and how they are
eLearning
In this four-week asynchronous eCourse, participants will explore how a well-developed marketing plan drives the creation of promotional plans, allowing librarians to better serve their patrons, community, and
eLearning
Explore how artificial intelligence can revolutionize libraries by enhancing accessibility, streamlining operations, and fostering community connections.
eLearning
This study aims to investigate the alignment between a university (UW-Madison) library’s resources and the research outputs of the university’s scholars.
eLearning
The session will discuss ongoing work to streamline a workflow for preparing collections for digitization. The presenters will discuss the collaboration between departments in Preservation and Cataloging &
eLearning
This four-week course by librarian and gerontologist Fatima Perkins helps libraries engage older adults. It covers assessing needs, creating impactful programs, and includes mentorship for developing a
Upcoming Events
Conference
ACRL 2025 features more 500 carefully curated programs designed to meet the needs of the academic and research library community.
Conference
The AASL National Conference is the only national conference dedicated solely to school librarians and their unique role in education.
Conference
The Core Forum brings together practitioners & decision makers in the following areas: Access & Equity, Buildings & Operations, Leadership & Management, Metadata & Collections, Preservation & Technology.
Awards, Grants, and Scholarships

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.

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.
Quick Links

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.
ALA Scholarships Links
Shop ALA
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.