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 Celebrity READ series.

The Peggy Barber Tribute Grant is an annual grant offered by ALA’s Public Programs Office that recognizes, promotes and supports meaningful programs in libraries that have limited and/or no access to budgetary support for programming. This grant aims to help ease budget challenges by annually awarding up to three libraries $2,500 to support a proposed program, program series or programming effort.

Applications for the award will be accepted from December 1, 2025, to February 2, 2026. Read the grant guidelines and apply online.

For the 2025–2026 cycle, libraries are invited to submit applications to support programming related to strengthening community ties through libraries as third spaces. As one of the few remaining “third spaces”—public spaces where individuals can gather outside their homes or workplaces—libraries are uniquely positioned to bring people together and strengthen communities.

Example proposals could include (but are not limited to): an intergenerational gardening program, a program series engaging adults in play-based programming, or a visual arts performance at the library in partnership with a local theater group. Proposed programs should include how it will bring people in the community together, how the program will foster connection amongst participants, and how the program can help folks share space with other people in the community

All library types — including public, academic, K-12, tribal and special libraries — in the U.S. or U.S. territories are eligible. Applicants must have a personal or institutional membership with either the American Library Association OR the Association for Rural & Small Libraries.

Last year’s winners of the Peggy Barber Tribute Grant were the Falls City (Neb.) Library & Arts Center, Hartford (Mich) Public Library and Pottsboro (Texas) Library. The awarded library programs focused on programming related to combatting isolation for older adults.

Peggy Barber served as ALA's associate executive director of communications from 1970 to 2000. In that role, she established ALA’s Public Information Office, Public Programs Office and the ALA Graphics department. After leaving ALA, she was a principal consultant with Library Communication Strategies and served as co-president of Friends of Libraries USA, now known as United for Libraries. She passed away in August 2019.

Contribute to the Peggy Barber tribute fund within ALA’s Cultural Communities Fund to support this grant.

To stay informed about future grants and awards offered by ALA’s Public Programs Office, sign up for the Programming Librarian e-newsletter.

About the American Library Association

The American Library Association (ALA) is the only non-partisan, nonprofit organization dedicated entirely to America's libraries and library professionals. For almost 150 years, ALA has provided resources to inspire library and information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. The ALA serves academic, public, school, government, and special libraries, advocating for the profession and the library's role in enhancing learning and ensuring access to information for all. For more information, visit www.ala.org.