Education & Careers

A curated selection of resources on library science education, career advancement, and professional development.

Continuing Education for Library Professionals

Visit ALA eLearning to browse or search the comprehensive catalog of continuing education opportunities from across ALA's divisions.

Here you'll find all online courses, live and recorded webinars, discussions, panels, workshops, and more, for library and information workers in all types of libraries and related organizations.

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Go to eLearning . Browse Free Events

Upcoming eLearning Events

18
Feb
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

18
Feb
eLearning

A presentation on using book kits in libraries to promote conversations about racial equity and inclusion with children and families.

18
Feb
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.

18
Feb
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

19
Feb
eLearning
Webinar

Learn to create engaging spaces for library patrons of all ages from real-life examples and outcomes.

25
Feb
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.

26
Feb
eLearning

This 90 minute webinar will discuss the different paths to employement as a federal or military librarian.

26
Feb
eLearning

Move beyond “autism acceptance” and let your library become a place of autistic joy.

27
Feb
eLearning
Webinar

Learn best practices for cardholder registration that reduces barriers and increase access for all.

28
Feb
eLearning

February 2025 Learning Live

03
Mar
eLearning
Webinar

Learn how you can be a part of PLA’s renowned conference programming.

04
Mar
eLearning

Learn how to support your patrons who struggle with reading!

11
Mar
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

12
Mar
eLearning
Webinar

Join this free virtual forum to get to know the candidates standing for president in the upcoming PLA election.

18
Mar
eLearning
Webinar

Trans librarians face a uniquely hostile work environment. Learn about supporting trans employees in their daily work.

18
Mar
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.

18
Mar
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.

19
Mar
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.

25
Mar
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.

25
Mar
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.

25
Mar
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.

26
Mar
eLearning

This 60 minute webinar will help make sense of historical newspapers and guide researchers to a better understanding of them as well.

26
Mar
eLearning
Webinar

Learn ways to energize your summer library program in accordance with ALA’s sustainability guidelines.

26
Mar
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

31
Mar
27
Apr
eLearning

A four week asynchronous course on project management.

01
Apr
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

01
Apr
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.

02
Apr
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.

07
Apr
eLearning
Webinar

Learn about PLA Committees and Advisory Groups and how to increase your chances of being selected.

14
Apr
12
May
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

28
Apr
09
Jun
eLearning

Reference Interview is a comprehensive six-week asynchronous course focusing on the methods of evaluating reference services, behaviorial aspects of reference service.

05
May
eLearning
Webinar

Learn about PLA publication opportunities, including writing for Public Libraries magazine and PLA’s podcast.

06
May
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

07
May
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

14
May
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.

19
May
13
Jun
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

21
May
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.

28
May
eLearning

The Core Competencies for Cataloging & Metadata Professional Librarians provides an important framework to assess professional-level cataloging and metadata skills, knowledge, and behavior.

04
Jun
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

11
Jun
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

18
Jun
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

07
Jul
03
Aug
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

09
Jul
eLearning

Explore how artificial intelligence can revolutionize libraries by enhancing accessibility, streamlining operations, and fostering community connections.

15
Jul
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.

22
Jul
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 &

04
Aug
31
Aug
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

Job Search Resources

JobList Placement and Career Development Center is ALA's online job board and career center for positions in library and information science and technology.

Here, job seekers can search hundreds of current library job openings, confidentially upload resumes for consideration, research employers, and find career advice. Employers can post jobs, search for potential candidates in the resume bank, and save promising candidates. Search by organization type, job type, location, and more.

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Go to JobList

Career Development

Cover of HRDR's Career Development Resource Guide PDF

Career Development Resource Guide

ALA's Office for Human Resource Development and Recruitment (HRDR) publishes this comprehensive Career Development Resources Guide, covering such topics as job search strategies, library workplace types and positions, self-marketing, resume and cover letter tips, interviewing, salary negotiation, and much more. The Guide is a rich source of information and advice for both established library professionals and recent graduates.

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Download the Guide (PDF)

A young librarian being mentored by a professional librarian

Mentoring Resources

Mentoring benefits both the new librarian and the experienced professional as each learns from the insights and perspectives of the other. Divisions, Sections and Round Tables all run mentoring programs. Learn how you can be involved!

Learn more about ALA Mentoring Programs, Mentoring Discussion Groups, and Affiliate Mentoring Programs.

Quick Links

ALA's Emerging Leaders, Class of 2022

ALA Emerging Leaders Program

Emerging Leaders enables newer library workers from across the country to participate in problem-solving work groups, network with peers, gain an inside look into ALA structure, and have an opportunity to serve the profession in a leadership capacity. It puts participants on the fast track to ALA committee volunteerism as well as other professional library-related organizations.

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Learn more!

Image of a group of young professionals working together

Volunteer!

ALA is an incredibly rich and varied organization and offers something for everyone, whether you want to get involved with colleagues who work in the same kind of library, network with members who share your interests, find a forum to discuss key issues, or work on specific projects. ALA carries out its work through committees and subcommittees, Divisions, Round Tables, and several other types of volunteer groups. Find out which ones are right for you!

A librarian in the library

Become a Librarian

What is your passion? Are you fascinated by art, biology, business, technology? Combine your passion with a desire to help others and become a librarian!

Learn about different types of libraries, trends in library positions, education requirements, salaries, and more.

If the proverbial career ladder feels more like a treadmill, it’s time for a different approach.

It can feel like everything gets harder, more political, and further under-resourced with each passing year. Thriving as a Mid-Career Librarian offers strategies of community, support, and advocacy that can help make it possible for us to thrive.

New school librarians as well as those already in the profession can set the tone for rewarding career with this one-stop, hands-on guide.

Academia is governed by traditions that can be opaque to those that have never worked within its unique corridors. The academic job search is a very specific process that only superficially resembles a job search in other fields.

Building with pillars with a tree in the foreground with a graduation cap icon and text that reads ALA Scholarship Program

ALA Scholarships

ALA and its units provide more than $300,000 annually for studies toward master's degrees in library and information science.

University of Washington in Seattle with cherry blossom trees

ALA Accredited Programs

Accreditation assures quality, innovation, and value in library and information studies education. Find out more about . . .

  • our accreditation process, including resources for reviewers and administrators
  • schools that offer accredited Master's degrees programs in library and information science
  • guidelines for choosing a school and program