ALA Personal Member Benefits

Advocacy is integral to achieving the library mission. Whether at the local, state, or federal level, delivering a compelling story to the right decision maker can make a big difference, but being an effective library advocate goes beyond contacting legislators when a critical bill is on the floor for a vote.

Advocacy is a year-round commitment to building relationships with elected officials and decision makers at every level of government. Strengthening these connections help promote an understanding of the economic, cultural, and community values of libraries at the local, statewide, and national levels.

From best practices for engaging elected leaders and local media, to one-pagers on issues like digital equity, library funding, and more, ALA provides resources to develop a year-round advocacy strategy and information to enhance your knowledge of library-related policy issues. Browse the website or search the comprehensive collection of advocacy resources.

When it comes to speaking up for libraries, there's strength in numbers. Sign up for ALA’s advocate mailing list to receive real-time action alerts and updates on policy issues related to the library field, use ALA’s Action Center to identify and reach out to your U.S. senators and representatives as well as your state and local policymakers.

Cited as the most used benefit in a recent ALA membership survey, American Libraries is the flagship publication of the Association. Published 6 times yearly in print, plus a digital-only July/August issue and occasional digital supplements, the magazine provides a wealth of information about libraries, library work, Association news, and other topics of interest to the profession. Subscription price ($74/year in the US, Canada, and Mexico) is included as part of ALA membership.

American Libraries Magazine will be delivered to your home or office within 4-6 weeks of joining ALA.

Recognized as one of the three most widely accessed ALA benefits and consistently recognized for its excellence, this members-only newsletter is delivered twice-weekly to your email inbox. AL Direct is the best source for breaking news and headlines that affect libraries, including news and features from divisions and round tables.

AL Direct is sent out weekly.

ALA Members can save on the Library Support Staff Certification and the Certified Public Library Administrator Programs available from ALA-APA! The Library Support Staff Certification (LSSC) Program is a national certification program sponsored by the American Library Association that allows library support staff to demonstrate their competencies and become a Certified Library Support Staff (CLSS). The Certified Public Library Administrator program is a voluntary post-MLS certification program for public librarians with three years or more of supervisory experience.

About ALA-APA: A companion organization to the American Library Association (ALA), the ALA-APA is a nonprofit professional organization established “to promote the mutual professional interests of librarians and other library workers.” ALA and ALA-APA are separate, independent legal organizations. Learn more about them here.

Personal members can log in to ALA JobLIST using the same credentials they use for the ALA website and ALA Connect. Once logged in, they can easily save their favorite job ad searches as automated Job Alerts and add their résumé to the résumé bank for hiring employers to find.

Now available as complimentary benefit to ALA members – 2 eLearning courses from ALA Publishing.

Continue to refine your skills and stay balanced during this pandemic.

Click here to find out how to access these courses. (ALA member log-in required)

Mindfulness for Librarians: Handling Stress and Thriving Under Pressure

Instructors: Richard Moniz and Martin House

During the current pandemic crisis it's no surprise to find yourself feeling overwhelmed or stressed at work. Throughout this eCourse, you’ll learn tips and tricks to stay stress free and become more mindful in the workplace. Instructors Richard Moniz and Martin House will discuss burnout theory and the overall impact it has on you, library users, and your organization as a whole. You’ll be introduced to mindfulness, discuss its significance and how it relates to the library profession, and learn techniques to put theory into practice. You’ll gain practical strategies that you can implement right away to succeed in your position and thrive under pressure.

Fighting Fake News with Information Literacy

Instructors: Melissa Mallon and Megan Mallon

In an era where digital information is ubiquitous and fake news is everywhere, providing training for young patrons to think critically regarding digital information is crucial. As information professionals, we are trained to analyze the authority and sourcing of information, and we need to provide our community with this same type of training so they can develop into media-literate practitioners.

In this eCourse, you’ll learn how to develop and enhance young patrons’ critical information and digital literacy skills. The instructors share techniques and strategies for teaching how to analyze and critique news and media sources that can apply in a variety of settings. You'll also get an opportunity to make immediate connections between the course content and your own professional environment. You will leave this course with specific lesson plans, activities, and assessments that you can use to help your community become media literate in today’s digital society.

Click here to find out how to access these courses. (ALA member log-in required)

A variety of grants and fellowships that provide funding or material support for present or future activities. Grants may be offered to support the planning and implementation of programs, aid in the preparation of a dissertation or other publications, and to promote research in library and information sciences. Grants are also given to support travel to conferences, such as the ALA Annual Conference, or other events that can broaden an individual's experience or education in librarianship. These include Book, Print & Media Awards, General Award Information, Grants & Fellowships, Professional Recognition Awards, and Scholarships.

ALA members -- receive year-round collection development and readers’-advisory recommendations by subscribing to Booklist magazine. Save 41% and get 22-issues of Booklist, 4 issues of Book Links, plus online access for $99 the first year. To start, click here.

The largest library conferences and trade shows in the world are available to you at a discount as an ALA Member. ALA Personal Members always receive a discount on registration fees for Annual Conference and Midwinter Meeting during preliminary registration.

Members save 10% on all books and promotional items from ALA Editions | ALA Neal-Schuman and ALA Graphics. Discounts do not apply to already discounted items, to special offers or sets. Discounts may not be combined.