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!

About the Campaign

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.

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.

Sign up to receive critical action alerts and advocacy updates on issues affecting libraries.

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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.

Learn More about ALA

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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.

Read the Latest Issue

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

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Feb
eLearning

February 2025 Learning Live

13
Feb
eLearning
Webinar

Learn how to create a culture of empathy and action by developing micro-communities to combat loneliness.

13
Feb
eLearning
Webinar

Learn how to create a culture of empathy and action by developing micro-communities to combat loneliness.

18
Feb
eLearning
Forum

Join this e-Forum to discuss your successes, your not-so-successful endeavors, and to learn how to incorporate project

18
Feb
eLearning

A presentation on using book kits in libraries to promote conversations about racial equity and inclusion with children

18
Feb
eLearning

This study aims to investigate the alignment between a university (UW-Madison) library’s resources and the research

18
Feb
eLearning
Forum

Join this e-Forum to discuss your successes, your not-so-successful endeavors, and to learn how to incorporate project

19
Feb
eLearning
Webinar

Learn to create engaging spaces for library patrons of all ages from real-life examples and outcomes.

19
Feb
eLearning
Webinar

Learn to create engaging spaces for library patrons of all ages from real-life examples and outcomes.

25
Feb
eLearning

This webinar takes the US Army's Troop Leading Procedures and adapts them to a library setting, showing how they were

26
Feb
eLearning

This 90 minute webinar will discuss the different paths to employement as a federal or military librarian.

26
Feb
eLearning

Move beyond “autism acceptance” and let your library become a place of autistic joy.

27
Feb
eLearning
Webinar

Learn best practices for cardholder registration that reduces barriers and increase access for all.

27
Feb
eLearning
Webinar

Learn best practices for cardholder registration that reduces barriers and increase access for all.

03
Mar
eLearning
Webinar

Learn how you can be a part of PLA’s renowned conference programming.

03
Mar
eLearning
Webinar

Learn how you can be a part of PLA’s renowned conference programming.

04
Mar
eLearning

Learn how to support your patrons who struggle with reading!

11
Mar
eLearning

This webinar will draw on both quantitative and qualitative data collected by the presenter from academic library staff

12
Mar
eLearning
Webinar

Join this free virtual forum to get to know the candidates standing for president in the upcoming PLA election.

12
Mar
eLearning
Webinar

Join this free virtual forum to get to know the candidates standing for president in the upcoming PLA election.

18
Mar
eLearning

Today's libraries are challenged with engaging busy customers who see thousands of ads per day. This webinar will

18
Mar
eLearning

Presenters will share their experiences in developing a tween summer camp, from planning, resourcing, and reaching the

18
Mar
eLearning
Webinar

Trans librarians face a uniquely hostile work environment. Learn about supporting trans employees in their daily work.

18
Mar
eLearning
Webinar

Trans librarians face a uniquely hostile work environment. Learn about supporting trans employees in their daily work.

19
Mar
eLearning

The webinar will explore AI's expanding role in libraries & the LIS field, stressing the urgent need for librarians and

25
Mar
eLearning
Forum

Join this e-Forum to discuss system integrations, their challenges, tips and tricks for successful integrations between

25
Mar
eLearning

This webinar will explore how librarians can use AI-powered writing assistants to improve their professional writing

25
Mar
eLearning
Forum

Join this e-Forum to discuss system integrations, their challenges, tips and tricks for successful integrations between

26
Mar
eLearning

This 60 minute webinar will help make sense of historical newspapers and guide researchers to a better understanding of

26
Mar
eLearning

Transitioning from staff member to management, even as an assistant, can be tough. Come webinar panel of three managers

26
Mar
eLearning
Webinar

Learn ways to energize your summer library program in accordance with ALA’s sustainability guidelines.

26
Mar
eLearning
Webinar

Learn ways to energize your summer library program in accordance with ALA’s sustainability guidelines.

31
Mar
27
Apr
eLearning

A four week asynchronous course on project management.

01
Apr
eLearning

As linked data becomes more of a reality for the library community, OCLC has worked with libraries around the world to

01
Apr
eLearning

Attendees will be able to use the “what matters most” principles—People, Paper, POP!—to conceive a system that will work

02
Apr
eLearning

Leading staff in an ever-changing, unpredictable environment can be difficult. In this session, we'll discuss the impact

07
Apr
eLearning
Webinar

Learn about PLA Committees and Advisory Groups and how to increase your chances of being selected.

07
Apr
eLearning
Webinar

Learn about PLA Committees and Advisory Groups and how to increase your chances of being selected.

14
Apr
12
May
eLearning

Where can I find child support guidelines? What are the laws in Nevada on gun ownership? How do I copyright my name? Any

28
Apr
09
Jun
eLearning

Reference Interview is a comprehensive six-week asynchronous course focusing on the methods of evaluating reference

05
May
eLearning
Webinar

Learn about PLA publication opportunities, including writing for Public Libraries magazine and PLA’s podcast.

05
May
eLearning
Webinar

Learn about PLA publication opportunities, including writing for Public Libraries magazine and PLA’s podcast.

06
May
eLearning

ecent research in the cultural heritage conservation field has identified arsenic and other toxic heavy metals in

07
May
eLearning

As the transgender population increases in size and visibility, a resulting backlash has gripped America--and libraries

14
May
eLearning

In recent years, the traditional use of digital collections simply as proxies for the physical has shifted to a paradigm

19
May
13
Jun
eLearning

Connecting Information Literacy Efforts to Student Retention is a four-week asynchronous course discussing the

21
May
eLearning

The presentation will focus on the lived experience of a librarian who recently moved into a large middle management

28
May
eLearning

The Core Competencies for Cataloging & Metadata Professional Librarians provides an important framework to assess

04
Jun
eLearning

Discovery products providing a single search interface to library collections have become industry standard in large

11
Jun
eLearning

Neurodiversity within the librarian professional is often neglected as a subject of scholarly conversation. With higher

18
Jun
eLearning

Come and learn the best practices that are having an impact on the lives of so many community members across the nation

07
Jul
03
Aug
eLearning

In this four-week asynchronous eCourse, participants will explore how a well-developed marketing plan drives the

09
Jul
eLearning

Explore how artificial intelligence can revolutionize libraries by enhancing accessibility, streamlining operations, and

22
Jul
eLearning

The session will discuss ongoing work to streamline a workflow for preparing collections for digitization. The

04
Aug
31
Aug
eLearning

This four-week course by librarian and gerontologist Fatima Perkins helps libraries engage older adults. It covers

Upcoming Events

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

12
Nov
14
Nov
Conference

The Core Forum brings together practitioners & decision makers in the following areas: Access & Equity, Buildings &

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.