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April 7, 2025
American Library Association, AFSCME Challenge Trump Administration Gutting of Institute of Museum and Library Services
American Library Association, AFSCME Challenge Trump Administration Gutting of Institute of Museum and Library Services

April 7, 2025
American Library Association kicks off National Library Week with the Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2024 and the State of America’s Libraries Report
The American Library Association (ALA) today released the highly anticipated Top 10 Most Challenged Books List.

March 15, 2025
ALA statement on White House assault on the Institute of Museum and Library Services
An executive order issued by the Trump administration on Friday night, March 14, calls for the elimination of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the nation’s only federal agency for America’s libraries.

February 10, 2025
American Library Association launches public supporter program
The American Library Association launched a new supporter program on February 10, 2025, inviting the public to join the fight to protect libraries and library professionals at a pivotal moment in our country’s history.

January 26, 2025
ALA to U. S. Department of Education: Book bans are real
The American Library Association responds to the Department of Education's dismissal of complaints about censorship and discrimination: the "effort to terminate protections... advances the demonstrably false claim that book bans are not real."

January 22, 2025
New ALA Initiative Asks Advocates to “Show Up for Our Libraries”
Today the American Library Association (ALA) launched Show Up for Our Libraries, a campaign to harness the collective power of library advocates to influence elected leaders and policymakers.
ALA in the News
Censorship reports show a mixed picture on U.S. book challenges
In observance of Banned Books Week, the American Library Association and PEN America released reports on book censorship across the country.
CHICAGO–Core is now accepting applications for the Online Course Scholarship for Library Professionals from Developing Countries to participate in our online Fundamentals courses held between September 11, 2024 and December 22, 2024. One free seat per...

Practical approaches to inclusive cataloging
CHICAGO — As part of the profession's ongoing EDISJ efforts to redress librarianship’s problematic past, practitioners from across the field are questioning long-held library authorities and standards. They’re undertaking a critical and rigorous re...

Social Responsibilities Round Table highlights programming for Annual Conference
An overview of programming curated by the Social Responsibilities Round Table over this past year and a preview of upcoming programming at Annual Conference and beyond.

Core Webinar: Accessible and Inclusive Library Design
Join Core for the webinar "Accessible and Inclusive Library Design" on June 11, 2024, at 1 p.m. CT. Explore ways to make your library more accessible and inclusive to patrons and staff, including following ADA guidelines and examining patron experience.

Supporting sustainable development goals through information science
CHICAGO — The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of 17 universal goals adopted by the UN in 2015. “ Information for Sustainable Development: Technology, People and Society,” published by Facet Publishing and available through the ALA Store...

An updated guide to street lit and urban fiction
CHICAGO — Addressing with unflinching grit the concerns and problems of city living and survival in the United States, street lit encompasses some of the most in-demand titles in American public libraries’ collections. The thoroughly revised second...
Core Webinar - Best of Core Forum: White Supremacy in the Stacks
Core hosts the webinar "Best of Core Forum: White Supremacy in the Stacks" on May 7, 2024, at 1 p.m. CT. This session examines how Library of Congress and Dewey Decimal Classifications handle books on topics relevant to White Supremacy and how this perpetuates the idea of a color-blind or color-neutral society.
CHICAGO—Join Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures on Tuesday, April 30, 2024, for the free Preservation Week® webinar “Cultural Competency's Role Toward Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Goals." Cultural Competency is the ability...
Preservation Week® Webinar: Building Better Models for Preservation
Join Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures on Tuesday, April 30, 2024, for the free Preservation Week® webinar “Building Better Models for Preservation.” In this panel, three speakers will discuss their experiences preserving cultural heritage material in their communities when they saw a need that was not being met.

Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures and the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) are currently accepting applications for the 11th annual IIDA/ALA Library Interior Design Awards honoring excellence in library interior design and promoting extraordinary interior spaces across nine categories. Winners and their clients will be honored and showcased during an awards ceremony at the ALA Annual Conference in San Diego. The submission deadline has been extended through April 9.
Core Webinar - Best of Core Forum: Onboarding with Cultural Humility and Appreciative Inquiry
Join Core for the webinar "Best of Core Forum: Onboarding with Cultural Humility and Appreciative Inquiry" on April 17, 2024, at 1 p.m. CT. The presenters, both in leadership positions, have recently been on both sides of the onboarding process and will share their ideas for incorporating the concepts of cultural humility and appreciative inquiry with the twofold goal of cultivating more inclusive and person-centered experiences for new employees and transforming the traditional onboarding process into an opportunity for organizational reflection and growth.

How does librarianship help people to be free? How is library capacity and expertise used to increase freedom, justice, and community? “Liberatory Librarianship: Stories of Community, Connection, and Justice,” published by ALA Editions in collaboration with Core, unpacks these questions, and many others, to reveal ways that library workers and their institutions are applying skills, knowledge, abilities, professional ethics, and personal commitment to practice liberatory librarianship.

Wei Ling Goh Named 2023 Core/OCLC Spectrum Scholar
The American Library Association (ALA) has awarded the 2023 Core/OCLC Spectrum Scholarship in Library and Information Technology to Wei Ling Goh.
More Sessions Confirmed for the “Best of Core Forum” Webinar Collection for 2023 Event
Core is pleased to announce another updated list of selections for the second “Best of Core Forum” webinar collection. These webinars are based on programs presented at the 2023 Core Forum. The presenters are adapting the program content into live webinars to extend the reach of their sessions and expertise.
ALA News Spectrum Scholarship Program Announces Sponsorships for the 25th Scholarship Cohort
CHICAGO — The Spectrum Scholarship Program, which advances racial equity, is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Through the Spectrum Scholarship Program, the American Library Association (ALA) new generations of racially and ethnically diverse librarians...