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 Quapaw (Okla.) Nation Library.

The $2,500 grant, open to public, academic, K-12, tribal and special libraries, supports meaningful programs in libraries with limited programming budgets. For the first time since the grant’s 2021 inception, the three selected libraries represent three different library types: academic, K-12 and tribal.

The Peggy Barber Tribute Grant supports a different type of library programming each year. Applicants for the 2026 grant proposed programming related to strengthening community ties through libraries as third spaces. 

Fresno State Library, as part of the California State University, Fresno, will launch a project called Building Community: Games & Stories Across Generations. In a region shaped by migration, agricultural labor and multigenerational families, the project brings older adults and younger participants together through shared play and storytelling, using cross-cultural games as an entry point for connection and memory-sharing. Designed as a recurring semester-long series, the project will conclude with a public showcase that invites the broader community into the library to celebrate shared experiences, stories and connections.

As a rural Title I community, students in the Lafayette County C-1 School District in Missouri depend on the school library as a safe space, but due to budget cuts, the school libraries lack dedicated funding to offer meaningful and fun engagement opportunities. With the Peggy Barber Grant, the school will produce Play On!, a program in elementary and secondary school libraries that will bring families together through games, collaborative building and art-as-play workshops. The program will establish a model for sustainable, community-centered, joyful activities.

The Quapaw Nation Library in Oklahoma offers a diverse range of resources to the Quapaw Nation, its members and the local community. From the Past: Quapaw Cemeteries Tour will convey the narratives of ten Quapaw ancestors who significantly influenced the tribe's history. Beginning with a hayride from the library to the Quapaw Pow Wow Grounds, the program will present the history of the tribe and feature ten unique performers representing prominent Quapaw figures laid to rest in various Quapaw Cemeteries. The program aims to bridge gaps between Tribal Elders and youth, make history relevant and connect individuals to their heritage.

“The committee of the 2026 Peggy Barber Tribute Grant was deeply inspired by the large number of proposed projects in the applicant pool,” said Arlisa Harris, committee chair and director of Forest City (Ark.) Public Library. “The three selected libraries all expressed a deep desire to fund cultural and community-inspired projects. They are already working as third spaces and are heavily relied upon, and this award will strengthen those built connections in new ways.”

Margaret "Peggy" Barber was a transformative leader in ALA and the library field who was behind the creation of National Library Week and the Celebrity READ series. The Peggy Barber Tribute Grant was created with donations from Barber’s friends and colleagues. To support the grant, make a contribution to the Peggy Barber tribute fund within ALA’s Cultural Communities Fund.

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 ALA Public Programs Office

The American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office empowers libraries to create vibrant hubs of learning, conversation, and connection in communities of all types.

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.