Libraries Transform Campaign
The Libraries Transform initiative was retired in September 2022. It was launched in 2015 focused on increasing the public awareness of libraries and the critical role they play in transforming lives and communities through education. It provided a collection of free resources, including graphics, key messages and ideas, that could be used for marketing, advocacy, outreach, fundraising. More than 15,000 libraries and library advocates joined the campaign.
Sari Feldman, ALA President 2015-16, officially launched the campaign with funding support from Overdrive, the nation's largest digital content provider to libraries. Ongoing financial support for the campaign was provided by ALA's Library Champions.
Some assets from the initiative are still available on the I Love LIbraries website.
Year Four Report
Read the Libraries Transform Year Four Report (PDF) to learn about the success of the campaign.
Visit the Libraries Transform website to learn more. Questions? Contact campaign@ala.org.
Broad Objectives
- Awareness: Increase awareness of and support for the transforming library.
- Perception: Shift perception of library from “obsolete” or “nice to have” to essential.
- Engagement: Energize library professionals and build external advocates to influence local, state and national decision-makers.
One Main Idea
Libraries today are less about what they have for people and more about what they do for and with people.
Key Messages
- Libraries transform lives.
- Libraries transform communities.
- Librarians are passionate advocates for lifelong learning.
- Libraries are a smart investment.
Why should my library get involved?
Libraries Transform ensures that there is one clear, energetic voice for our profession, showcasing the transformative nature of today’s libraries and elevating the critical role libraries play in the digital age. That voice becomes amplified as more and more libraries of all types sign onto the campaign. At the national level, ALA and its divisions are working to send the Libraries Transform message through national media, national stakeholders and decision-makers.
Libraries Transform provides a fresh opportunity to position your library as vital to the people it serves and the community at large. It reminds your community, school or campus that the library is an indispensable resource that transforms people’s lives and the community itself, while advertising that the library and the people who work inside it are continually transforming to keep up with—and keep ahead of—the evolving needs.
Libraries Transform is a conversation starter. Intriguing Because statements beg questions—and you and your library colleagues are best suited to have the conversation about how these ideas connect to transformation in your library. Libraries Transform can provide you with an opportunity to strengthen relationships with members of the community and colleagues, build relationships with influentials in your library environment, and partner with local organizations.
Libraries Transform can help you tell your library’s story. What does “transformation” mean in your library? Perhaps it’s the maker spaces and digital labs that say transform to you. Maybe it’s a basic service as teaching a child—or an adult—to read. Libraries Transform allows you to capture your library’s story using attention–getting “Because” statements that remind the public of the ever-increasing value of libraries in a changing world.
Libraries Transform serves as a platform for your advocacy efforts, allowing your library to localize the campaign to fit your advocacy priorities, while growing the collective impact of a national campaign. Building on a legacy of great advocacy initiatives, ALA offers tools and resources for you to initiate your campaign, refine your messaging, work with the media and more.
What level of commitment will be expected?
The success of Libraries Transform as a whole will build upon the successes of individual libraries. So, the biggest “ask” of ALA is that you share your experiences with ALA, so that we can share them with other participating libraries.
- Please keep us up to date on your Libraries Transform events, programming and advocacy efforts.
- Send examples of advertising, posters, videos, social media efforts, and more.
- Share stories of transformation you're gathering through your community.
- Provide feedback. Let us know how the campaign going. What’s working? What’s not?
We’ll include your work in our e-newsletter, showcase it through social media channels and build it into our resources as models and best practices, as well as facilitate peer-to-peer discussion with participating libraries.
For more information contact campaign@ala.org.
Libraries Transform is made possible with support from:
For 25 years OverDrive has been on a mission to provide access to compelling, easy-to-use digital materials that reach, engage, and satisfy readers. Since 2002 we have worked with ALA member libraries to invest how libraries lend eBooks and digital audiobooks. In the spirit of continuous improvement and best practices, together with ALA we are engaged in library advocacy with publishers and authors to provide fair lending models and costs. Visit Overdrive.com to learn more.
ALA Library Champions support ALA’s efforts in raising public awareness about the value of libraries and librarians.