Public Programs Office (PPO)
Apply for the 2026-27 cohort of the Yiddish Book Center’s Public Libraries Program: Host reading groups on religion, assimilation, identity and immigration
CHICAGO — Join public library workers from around the country at the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, Massachusetts, to explore how Yiddish literature can provide a springboard for powerful conversations about religion, assimilation, identity, and...
Terrebonne Parish Library System (Houma, La.) and Union (N.J). Public Library Awarded ALA’s Libraries Transform Communities Engagement Grant
CHICAGO — The American Library Association (ALA) has awarded its seventh annual Libraries Transform Communities Engagement Grant to Terrebonne Parish Library System in Houma, La., and Union (N.J.) Public Library. The winning libraries will use the grant...
Academic, K-12 and Tribal Library Awarded ALA’s 2026 Peggy Barber Tribute Grant for Programs to Strengthen Community Through Libraries as Third Spaces
CHICAGO — The American Library Association (ALA) has awarded its 2026 Peggy Barber Tribute Grant, a programming grant named after the transformative ALA leader, to Fresno (Calif.) State Library, Lafayette County C-1 School District, Higginsville, Mo. and...
ALA awards $3.5 million in library accessibility funding to 300 small and rural libraries in the fourth and final round of the grant initiative
CHICAGO — The American Library Association (ALA) today announced the fourth and final round of recipients of its Libraries Transforming Communities (LTC): Accessible Small and Rural Communities grant, an initiative to help small and rural libraries...
ALA releases landscape report on the current state of library programs for older adults
CHICAGO — The American Library Association (ALA) has released a new landscape report under the Aging Together: An Evaluation of Library Programming for Older Adults initiative to better understand the current state of library programming for older adults...
ALA releases free library programming toolkit for library workers to support online health literacy and selects twelve libraries for pilot program
CHICAGO — The American Library Association (ALA) announces 12 libraries selected for the Digital Pathways: Online Health Literacy Programming for Adults initiative, a pilot program that supports libraries' online health literacy programming during a nine...
ALA releases free guide and eCourse, Libraries Transforming Communities: Libraries as Leaders in Bridging Divides, funded by the Ford Foundation
CHICAGO — In today’s increasingly polarized society, libraries play a vital role as hubs of connection, bringing together individuals from diverse backgrounds and perspectives. By hosting community conversations, libraries create intentional spaces that...
Twenty-Nine Organizations Selected to Serve on the Advisory Committee for Aging Together: An Evaluation of Library Programming for Older Adults
CHICAGO — The American Library Association (ALA) announces twenty-nine advisors for Aging Together: An Evaluation of Library Programming for Older Adults, a national evaluation initiative to better understand and disseminate information about the current...
A Year of STEM
"A Year of STEM" will create a free programming guide for library workers with the hope of fostering curiosity and STEM-mindedness in early childhood learners across the country. In collaboration with librarian advisors and Cummins Inc., ALA’s Public Programs Office (PPO) will publish a free guide in November 2026 to help libraries offer engaging and enriching STEM programs for young children. The guide will include STEM library program models, a curated reading list, and ideas for making STEM kits to add to libraries’ collections. To initiate this project, six library worker advisors with...
ALA and The Pulitzer Prizes open applications for new ‘Pulitzer on the Road’ traveling exhibition tour for libraries
CHICAGO – The American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office, in collaboration with The Pulitzer Prizes, invites public libraries to apply to host Pulitzer on the Road: Prize-Winning Works that Inform, Empower & Inspire, a new traveling exhibit...
Libraries Invited to Apply for the Sixth Annual Peggy Barber Tribute Grant to Support Programs that Strengthen Community Ties through Libraries as Third Spaces
CHICAGO — The American Library Association (ALA) invites library workers to apply for the sixth annual Peggy Barber Tribute Grant, a programming grant named after the transformative ALA leader responsible for the creation of National Library Week and the...
ALA invites applications for seventh annual Libraries Transform Communities Engagement Grant: Libraries as a Lifeline: Building Belonging for All
CHICAGO — The American Library Association (ALA) invites library workers to apply for the Libraries Transform Communities Engagement Grant (LTCEG), an annual award supporting innovative and meaningful community engagement efforts in libraries...
Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities Peer Reviewer
Peer Reviewer Opportunity - LTC Access Round 4 A crucial part of every grant opportunity in the Public Programs Office (PPO) is the peer review process. Every application is reviewed by external reviewers, peers in the library field, and scored on an evaluation rubric to aid in the selection process. Now is your chance to apply to be one of the peer reviewers for the fourth round of Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities. Peer reviewers will receive an honorarium of $150 for their work and can expect to review approximately 25 applications. Timeline...
Aging Together: An Evaluation of Library Programming for Older Adults
Call for Advisors
Aging Together: An Evaluation of Library Programming for Older Adults
For many older adults, public libraries are vital community spaces for learning, recreation, wellness, and social connections. As this population continues to grow, libraries face an important opportunity to design programs that respond to their evolving needs. Yet with limited research on the impact of library services for older adults, there is a need to fill the gap. Aging Together will equip libraries nationwide to strengthen programs that reduce isolation, support health and well-being, provide end-of-life resources, and assist caregivers. The ALA Public Programs Office and the Public...
Applications open for new ALA initiative to advance sustainability in libraries
The American Library Association (ALA), in collaboration with the Sustainable Libraries Initiative (SLI), is launching Resilient Communities: Advancing Sustainability in and through Libraries, a new initiative designed to equip public library workers with...
Digital Pathways: Online Health Literacy Programming for Adults Guidelines
Date posted: October 23, 2025 Applications Open: October 29, 2025 - January 7, 2026 Questions? Contact the American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office at 1-800-545-2433, ext. 5045, or publicprograms@ala.org. Table of Contents Initiative Description Project Overview Eligibility Award Information Application and Submission Information Application Review Award Administration Information Contact Us Initiative Description There has been a significant increase in adults using the internet to access health information over the past decade. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention...
With Funding from The John A. Hartford Foundation, ALA Announces Aging Together: An Evaluation of Library Programming for Older Adults
CHICAGO — The American Library Association (ALA), with $388,363 in support from The John A. Hartford Foundation, announces Aging Together: An Evaluation of Library Programming for Older Adults, an initiative to support a national evaluation to better...