Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services

Mission
The ALA Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services supports library and information science workers in creating responsible and all-inclusive spaces that serve and represent the entire community. To accomplish this, we decenter power and privilege by facilitating conversations around access and identity as they impact the profession and those we serve. We use a social justice framework to inform library and information science workers' development of resources. We strive to create an association culture where these concerns are incorporated into everybody's everyday work.
Featured
ODLOS supports library and information science workers creating responsible and all-inclusive spaces that serve & represent the entire community.
Initiatives & partnerships promoting equity, diversity & inclusion in libraries and the library profession.
Find & connect with library experts in the areas of equity, diversity & inclusion.
Strategic planning, workshops, webinars, and other presentations for library audiences.
Through the Spectrum Scholarship Program, ALA affirms its commitment to diversity and inclusion by seeking the broadest participation of new ...
ODLOS works closely with 8 groups to serve marginalized voices and communities.
Libraries Respond
Initiatives
Resources, grants, and initiatives supporting literacy across the lifespan.
Read the latest EDI news every month.
Initiatives and programs geared to promote access to library services to all.
Engaging Multilingual Communities Guide

Did you know that in the United States over 67 million people speak a different language rather than English at home? This guide is designed to support library personnel who serve multilingual patrons through events, collections, and enrichment opportunities.
Inside, you'll find examples of programs, services, and more for your community.
News
Savannah Lake Named a 2025 Core Emerging Leader
CHICAGO—Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures is pleased to announce that Savannah Lake has been selected as a Core Emerging Leader (EL). Lake is a Digital Scholarship...
Kay Slater Named a 2025 Core Emerging Leader
CHICAGO—Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures is pleased to announce that Kay Slater has been selected as a Core Emerging Leader (EL). Slater is a Creative Technology...
LaShonda Campbell Named a 2025 Core Emerging Leader
CHICAGO—Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures is pleased to announce that LaShonda Campbell has been selected as a Core Emerging Leader (EL). Campbell is a Collections Development...
Intersections
Scholar Spotlight: Cindy Hohl (2016) in Conversation with the Spectrum Advisory Committee
The Spectrum Scholarship Program actively recruits and provides scholarships to American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, Middle Eastern and North African, and/or Native Hawaiian/Other
Scholar Spotlight: Luisa Leija (2020) in Conversation with the Spectrum Advisory Committee
The Spectrum Scholarship Program actively recruits and provides scholarships to American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, Middle Eastern and North African, and/or Native Hawaiian/Other
Research Notes Before and During COVID-19 on Digital Inequity
By: Raymond Pun, Instruction/Research Librarian, Alder Graduate School of Education, California For the past year and a half, I have been working on my dissertation
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion eLearning
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
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
February 2025 Learning Live
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
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
March 2025 Learning Live
eLearning
Webinar
Join this free virtual forum to get to know the candidates standing for president in the upcoming PLA election.
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
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
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
Webinar
Learn ways to energize your summer library program in accordance with ALA’s sustainability guidelines.
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
A four week asynchronous course on project management.
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
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
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
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
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
Contact Us
225 N Michigan Ave
Suite 1300
Chicago, IL 60601
1-800-545-2433 ext. 4294
Fax: 312-280-3256
Email: diversity@ala.org
Kevin Strowder
Director
kstrowder@ala.org
800-545-2433 ext. 5295
Hillary Pearson
Program Manager, Accessibility Services
hpearson@ala.org
312-724-9251 ext. 5020