Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services

American Library Association Rainbow Round Table announces Top 10 Book List

CHICAGO - The Over the Rainbow committee of ALA’s Rainbow Roundtable considered 298 titles in fiction, non-fiction, and poetry during 2022. This year’s selection saw books of every genre featuring the diversity of queer identities. In a year where queer stories have been challenged at libraries, these authors and publishers made the choice to create, imagine, envision, reflect, and share queer narratives loudly.

Library, Archives Associations encourage member participation in National Day of Racial Healing

CHICAGO - On January 17, 2023, the seventh annual US National Day of Racial Healing, the American Library Association (ALA), the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), and the Society of American Archivists (SAA) call upon our collective memberships—comprised of several hundred thousand archivists, librarians, and other information professionals, and thousands of libraries and archives of all kinds—to observe the day with reflection and action. Launched in 2017 by the W.K.

Nominations Open for 2023 Jean E. Coleman Library Outreach Lecturer

CHICAGO – ALA is accepting nominations for the 2023 Jean E. Coleman Library Outreach Lecturer. The Jean E. Coleman Library Outreach Lecture is held annually during the ALA Annual Conference as a tribute to the efforts of the first Director of ALA’s Office for Literacy and Outreach Services (now the Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services) to ensure that all citizens, particularly Native Americans and adult learners, have access to quality library services.

ALA invites applications for $3.5 million in grants as part of Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities

CHICAGO — The American Library Association (ALA) invites applications from small and rural libraries for the Libraries Transforming Communities (LTC): Accessible Small and Rural Communities grant.

ALA President Pelayo-Lozada announces travel grant for LibLearnX 2023

ALA President Lessa Kanani’opua Pelayo-Lozada announces a travel grant for underemployed library workers to attend the Library Learning Experience (LibLearnX) on January 27-30, 2023, in New Orleans, LA. The grant will cover the expenses of two underemployed library workers from underrepresented groups (American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, Middle Eastern and North African, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, 2SLGBTQIA+, a person with a disability) whose employment status has changed to part-time or less since January 2021.

The 2022 Coretta Scott King Book Awards Round Table gifts Book Donation Grants

CHICAGO - Each year, the Coretta Scott King Book Awards community offers three underfunded libraries, schools and/or non-traditional organizations that provide educational services to children CSK Book Donation Grants. The grant program provides books submitted for consideration for the Coretta Scott King Book Awards to libraries and other organizations to expand their collections. Each year, three organizations are selected that demonstrate need and potential benefit from receiving the collection. Each library will receive copies of more than 80 titles.  

ALA/ARL approve Cultural Proficiencies for Racial Equity: A Framework

CHICAGO; WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Joint ALA/ARL Building Cultural Proficiencies for Racial Equity Framework Task Force’s final draft of the Cultural Proficiencies for Racial Equity: A Framework was approved by the boards of directors of the four partner organizations, the American Library Association (ALA), Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL), Association of Research Libraries (ARL), and Public Library Association (PLA), during summer 2022. 

ALA Awards Spectrum Scholarships for 2022

CHICAGO — Today, the American Library Association's (ALA) Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services awarded 2022 Spectrum Scholarships to 60 exceptional students pursuing graduate degrees in library and information studies. Since 1997, ALA has awarded more than 1,300 Spectrum Scholarships. In the most recent application cycle, the Spectrum Scholarship Program received four times as many applications as there were available scholarships, and the majority of this year’s applicants were deemed highly fundable.

Tuliao Swims Again to Support Spectrum

Miriam Tuliao has announced that she will swim Grimaldo's Mile, a one mile open water event in New York City, on July 9th to raise funds for ALA’s Spectrum Scholarship Program. This is Tuliao's 15th consecutive year organizing an annual fundraiser for Spectrum. 

ALA Announces 2022 Spectrum Doctoral Fellows - Catalysts for Change

CHICAGO - The American Library Association (ALA) is pleased to announce recipients for the newest round of Spectrum Doctoral Fellowships - Catalysts for Change. This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (RE-248876-OLS).