Libraries Respond: Immigrants, Refugees, and Asylum Seekers
This list of resources was created in response to legislative changes that have introduced uncertainty regarding their impact--who they affect, when they take effect, and how they will influence library operations and services. These developments have also sparked important conversations among library professionals about how to best serve both staff and the communities they support. Below is a curated list of resources to help libraries and their staff effectively serve immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers.
Welcoming and Programming Support
Definitions
- Asylee - An non-citizen in the United States or at a port of entry who is unable or unwilling to return to his or her country of nationality, or to seek the protection of that country because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution. Persecution or the fear thereof must be based on religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion.
- Immigrant - Any person lawfully in the United States who is not a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or person admitted under a nonimmigrant category as defined by the Immigration and Nationality Act.
- Naturalization - The manner in which a person not born in the United States voluntarily becomes a U.S. citizen.
- Refugee - Generally, any person outside his or her country of nationality who is unable or unwilling to return to that country because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution based on the person’s race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.
- Stateless - A stateless person is generally not considered a national by any state under the operation of its laws. In simple terms, this means that a stateless person does not have a nationality of any country.
- US Citizenship - A person who was born in the United States or born abroad to US citizens. A person may also become a US citizen through naturalization.
Additional definitions that may be useful can be found at the USCIS Glossary.
Share Your Story
We want to hear your stories about how you are serving immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers. Share your successes and your challenges using the hashtags:
#LibrariesRespond #WelcomingLibraries
Welcoming and Programming Support
- ALSC Become a Welcoming Space for Immigrants & Refugees
- Celebrating Welcoming Week: A Guide for Libraries
- El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children's Day/Book Day)
- Engaging Multilingual Communities and English Language Learners in U.S. Libraries
- Library Programs and New Americans: A White Paper
- New Americans Library Project
- Programming Librarian: ESL Conversation Club
- Project Welcome Quick Guide
Books
- ALA Inclusive Booklists
- Libraries and Sanctuary by John Vincent
- A Trauma-Informed Framework for Supporting Patrons: The PLA Workbook of Best Practices by Public Library Association
- The Stories We Share by Ladislava N. Khailova
- REFORMA Children in Crisis Book List
Organizations
- American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
- American Immigration Lawyers Association
- American Indian Library Association (AILA)
- Asian Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA)
- Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA)
- Higher Ed Immigration Portal
- Immigrant Defense Project
- Immigration Advocates Network
- Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC)
- Informed Immigrant
- Kids in Need of Defense (KIND)
- REFORMA
- Refugee Welcome Collective
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
- Welcoming America
Staff Support
- How to Deal With Burnout in Your Library
- Hateful Conduct in Libraries: Supporting Library Workers and Patrons
ALA Resources
- ALA Ethnic & Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table (EMIERT)
- ALA Laws & Law Enforcement Inquiries
- ALA Library Bill of Rights
- ALA New Immigrants
- ALA Policy Manual - Diversity
- ALA Services to New Immigrants Libguide
- ALA Services to Refugees, Immigrants, and Displaced Persons (SRIDP) Sub-Committee
- ALA Suggested Guidelines: How to Respond to Law Enforcement Requests for Library Records and User Information
- ALA What is Sanctuary?
- PLA Adult Learning Resources
ALA Resolutions
- Resolution in Support of Immigrant Rights, 2022 ALA Annual Conference
- Replacing the Library of Congress Subject Heading "Illegal Aliens" with "Undocumented Immigrants", 2016 ALA Midwinter Meeting
- Improving Access to Spanish, Bilingual, and Books in Various Languages for Children in Detention Centers, 2015 ALA Annual Conference
Other
- Form I-9 Inspection Overview
- IFLA Guidelines for Libraries Supporting Displaced Persons
- Libraries, Integration and New Americans Project
- Resources for DACA and Undocumented Students
- State Map on Immigration Enforcement 2024
Articles and News
- “Third Judge Blocks Trump’s Order Ending Birthright Citizenship for Kids of People in US Illegally” by Linday Whitehurt. Apnews.com, February 10, 2025
- “How Hardline Anti-Immigrant Policies are Threatening the Right to Education” by Erica Watkins. Theguardian.com, January 28, 2025
- “Know Your Rights—and Theirs: How Libraries Prepare for Possible ICE Activity” by Claire Zulkey. Americanlibrariesmagazine.org, January 2, 2020
- "Here's How You Can Help Fight Family Separation at the Border" by Dahlia Lithwick and Margo Schlanger. Slate.com, June 15, 2018
- "Immigrant Students Worry as Librarian Lends Support" by Deah Hester. School Library Journal, March 1, 2017
- "Best Kids Books About Immigrations and Refugees" by Jen Gann. New York Magazine, February 8, 2017
- "How sanctuary cities work, and how Trump's executive order might affect them," by Darla Cameron. The Washington Post, January 25, 2017
- "Resisting Donald Trump: Getting prepared to fight immigration raids and deportations," by Sarah Lazare, Alternet. Salon, November 25, 2016
