International Relations Office (IRO)
ALA active at the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly
The American Library Association (ALA) International Relations Committee (IRC) United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG) Subcommittee hosted the first ALA UN in-person event during the United Nations General Assembly 79 (UNGA), and members of...
American Library Association to present United Nations program
Leaders and experts in government, academic, public and school libraries will converge to present the American Library Association’s first in-person event during the United Nations General Assembly.
Free Event: Generative A.I. supercharging the mission of libraries: risks and opportunities
CHICAGO—The American Library Association United Nations International Relations Committee Sustainable Development Goals Subcommittee invites you to join their online event presented in the days before the AI for Good Global Summit, an event by the United...
Jim Neal receives 2023 John Ames/Humphry/OCLC/ Forest Press Award
CHICAGO — James (Jim) Neal is this year’s recipient of the American Library Association (ALA) International Relations Committee’s John Ames/Humphry/OCLC/ Forest Press Award. OCLC/Forest Press donated the cash award of $1,000, which is given to an...
ALA supports human rights and freedom of expression in Iran
CHICAGO - The American Library Association supports Iranian colleagues and the people of Iran in their efforts for human rights, including women’s rights and freedom of speech and expression. ALA has adopted into its policies Article 19 of the United...
ALA Condemns Destruction of Libraries, Schools, and Cultural Institutions in Ukraine
CHICAGO -- On June 25, 2022, the American Library Association (ALA) Council passed a resolution condemning the enormous damage and destruction of Ukrainian cultural resources resulting from the continued occupation of Ukraine by the Russian Federation...
ALA announces Ukraine Library Relief Fund
CHICAGO — The American Library Association (ALA), in collaboration with the Ukrainian Library Association (ULA), has announced the ALA Ukraine Library Relief Fund to gather donations for the Ukrainian library community as they face the challenges of war...
ALA announces $1.55M second round of emergency fund for libraries impacted by COVID-19
CHICAGO — The American Library Association (ALA) announced today it will make available $1.55M in emergency relief grants to more than 75 libraries that have experienced substantial economic hardship due to the coronavirus pandemic. The ALA COVID Library...
ALA stands with Ukrainian library community
CHICAGO — The American Library Association and its divisions support our Ukrainian colleagues and will work with the global library community to answer the appeal from the Ukrainian Library Association to provide accurate information as a means to support...
ALA donates $15,000 to assist libraries in Louisiana and New Jersey damaged by Hurricane Ida
CHICAGO — Libraries and communities in Louisiana and the along the East Coast are still struggling to recover from damage from category 4 Hurricane Ida which ravaged a huge part of the country in August. Thanks to support from members and other library...
ALA donates $12,000 to re-establish and restore public libraries in Haiti
CHICAGO — ALA and its members, through the ALA Disaster Relief Fund, have provided $12,000 to the Bibliothèque Nationale d’Haïti to re-establish two of its public libraries whose locations that were damaged and made uninhabitable due to the large...
2021 IRRT Mission Enhancement Grant call for proposals
CHICAGO — The International Relations Round Table (IRRT) announces the call for proposals for its Mission Enhancement Grant. In 2016, IRRT members and supporters established the IRRT Endowment. Interest from the Endowment will be used to fund member...
Russian and US Libraries Supporting the Well-Being of Individuals and Communities webinar
Russian translation Date and time: June 3, 2021 09:00 AM in Central Time (US and Canada) Description: The US Russia Library Dialogue, in partnership with American Library Association, and the Russian Library Association invite you to attend the "Russian and US Libraries Supporting the Well-Being of Individuals and Communities" webinar. As we head into a second year of living with the coronavirus pandemic, libraries remain second responders helping their communities navigate these uncertain times. In this webinar, US and Russian library specialists will share strategies for how libraries in...
Nicaragua 3D printing project wins 2021 International Relations Round Table (IRRT) Awards Mission Enhancement Grant
CHICAGO — The “3D Printing Technology Training in the San Juan del Sur Nicaragua Public Library” project is this year’s recipient of the American Library Association’s International Relations Round Table (IRRT) Mission Enhancement Grant. This project...
IRO | List of Upcoming International Webinars
ALA sponsored webinars | Webinars sponsored by other international libraries and organizations Webinar 3: Linked Data and Discovery: An Online Discussion Date/Time: June 18, Friday at 7 am PT/9 am CT/10 am ET/ 16:00 CEST Description: This series of 3 webinars from ALA International Relations Round Table (IRRT) Webinar Committee and the Mission Enhancement Project support Croatian Library Association’s interests in linked data projects and work. This presentation will focus on linked data and discovery. Zoom Registration Link: https://ala-events.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN...
Nominations sought for 2021 Bogle Pratt International Travel Fund
CHICAGO — The American Library Association (ALA) is accepting nominations for the 2021 Bogle Pratt International Travel Fund, sponsored by the Bogle Memorial Fund and the Pratt Institute School of Information and Library Science. An award of $1,000 is...
Nominations open for 2021 ALA Presidential Citation for Innovative International Library Projects
The International Relations Round Table (IRRT) invites you to submit a nomination for the ALA Presidential Citation for Innovative International Library Projects. The citation began as an ALA Presidential initiative of Dr. Loriene Roy, ALA president in...
Nominations open for John Ames Humphry/OCLC/Forest Press Award
CHICAGO - The American Library Association is accepting nominations for the 2021 John Ames Humphry/OCLC/Forest Press Award for International Librarianship. The deadline for nominations is Jan. 11, 2021. The award consists of a prize of $1,000 and a...
Call for proposals for 2021 IRRT Mission Enhancement Grant
CHICAGO—ALA The International Relations Roundtable is calling for proposals for its 2021 IRRT Mission Enhancement Grant. This grant was established by the IRRT to fund member-initiated proposals for international activities and initiatives which...
Webinar Committee
Statement of Role, Purpose, and Function The purpose of the IRRT Webinar Committee is to support IRRT's mission to promote interest in library issues and librarianship worldwide by fostering membership engagement through the implementation of webinar programs. The Committee is responsible to: Plan and present at least four webinars each year. Committee members brainstorm topics, recruit speakers, provide publicity. Coordinates with the ALA International Relations Office (IRO) to present the webinars. 2. Serves as a resource to other IRRT Committees interested in planning webinars. The...