Announcing the 2025 Core Fundamentals Web Course Schedule

CHICAGO–Core is pleased to announce the release of the 2025 Core Fundamentals Web Course schedule. This series of related online courses covers basic topics that enhance skills in various areas of library work.

The Fundamentals Web Courses focus on the following areas: fundamentals of acquisitions, cataloging, metadata, collection assessment, collection development and management, digital library projects, electronic resources acquisitions, preservation, management, universal design for learning, and institutional repositories.

Courses are 4 to 6 weeks in length and are repeated throughout the year. Students have 24/7 access to the course material. Instructors moderate live weekly chat discussions and provide instruction. Seats are limited and sessions often sell out in advance. Reserve your spot now.

2024 Core Fundamentals Web Courses
Course sessions are repeated throughout the year. You only need to take one session of a given course, since the course content is the same across sessions. Click on the course titles to learn more. Register online for the session you'd like to participate in.

Fundamentals of Acquisitions (FOA)

• Session 1: January 27 – March 7
• Session 2: March 17 – April 25
• Session 3: May 5 – June 13
• Session 4: July 28 – September 5
• Session 5: September 29 – November 7

Fundamentals of Cataloging (FOC)

• Session 1: January 6 – February 14
• Session 1.1: January 6 – February 14
• Session 2: February 24 – April 5
• Session 2.1: February 24 – April 5
• Session 3: April 21 – May 30
• Session 3.1: April 21 – May 30
• Session 4: July 7 – August 15
• Session 4.1: July 7 – August 15
• Session 5: August 25 – October 3
• Session 5.1: August 25 – October 3
• Session 6: October 20 – December 5
• Session 6.1: October 20 – December 5

Fundamentals of Collection Assessment (FCA)

• Session 1: February 3 – March 14
• Session 2: March 24 – May 2
• Session 3: May 19 – June 27
• Session 4: August 4 - September 12
• Session 5: October 6– November 14

Fundamentals of Collection Development and Management (FCDM)

• Session 1: February 3 – February 28
• Session 2: March 17 – April 11
• Session 3: May 12 – June 6
• Session 4: August 4 – August 29
• Session 5: October 13 – November 7

Fundamentals of Digital Library Projects (FDLP)

• Session 1: January 20 – February 28
• Session 2: March 10 – April 18
• Session 3: April 28 – June 6
• Session 4: July 21 – August 29
• Session 5: October 6 – November 14

Fundamentals of Electronic Resources Acquisitions (FERA)

• Session 1: January 27 – February 21
• Session 2: March 3 – March 28
• Session 3: May 5 – May 30
• Session 4: July 28 – August 22
• Session 5: October 13 – November 7

Fundamentals of Institutional Repositories (FIR) - NEW COURSE!

• Session 1: February 10 - March 21
• Session 2: June 16 - July 25
• Session 3: October 6 - November 15

Fundamentals of Management (FM)

• Session 1: January 6- January 31
• Session 2: March 3 - March 28
• Session 3: April 21 - May 16
• Session 4: June 2 - June 27
• Session 5: July 21 - August 15
• Session 6: September 15 - October 10

Fundamentals of Metadata (FOM)

• Session 1: January 13 – February 21
• Session 2: March 10 – April 25
• Session 3: April 28 – June 6
• Session 4: July 21 – August 29
• Session 5: September 22 – October 31

Fundamentals of Preservation (FOP)

• Session 1: February 10 – March 7
• Session 2: March 24 – April 18
• Session 3: May 12 – June 6
• Session 4: October 6 – October 31

Fundamentals of Universal Design for Learning (FUDL)

• Session 1: January 13 – February 21
• Session 2: September 22 – October 31

The 2026 Course Schedule will be available this fall.

Registration Fees (Price increase coming in September 2025)

4-Week Courses:
$165.11 - Core member
$188.10 - ALA member
$209 - nonmember

6-Week Courses:
$196.71 - Core member
$224.10 - ALA member
$249 - nonmember

How to Register

Register online or or by phone at 1-800-545-2433 (press 1 to reach our customer service representatives). Course sessions are limited to 25 students and many sell out weeks in advance.

Please contact registration@ala.org to request an invoice or course registration form.

Registration is limited and sessions often sell out quickly. Reserve your spot now.

Questions

For registration related questions, call 1-800-545-2433 and press 1 to speak to our customer service representatives.

For general questions related to Core continuing education events, please contact corece@ala.org.

About Core

Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures is the national association that advances the profession of librarians and information providers in central roles of leadership and management, collections and technical services, and technology. Our mission is to cultivate and amplify the collective expertise of library workers in core functions through community building, advocacy, and learning. Core is a division of the American Library Association. Follow us on our Blog, Instagram and LinkedIn.