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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.
January 13, 2025
American Library Association extends support to libraries affected by Los Angeles wildfires
The American Library Association extends our deepest sympathies to those who have been affected by and to those who have lost everything during the Los Angeles area fires.
December 10, 2024
PLA provides funding to more than 100 public libraries as part of $2.7 million effort to boost digital literacy
The Public Library Association (PLA) has selected more than 139 public libraries across 42 states to host digital literacy workshops, powered by a generous $2.7 million contribution from AT&T.
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.
Preservation Week® Webinar: Historical Newspapers in Public Libraries
Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures hosts the free Preservation Week® webinar "Historical Newspapers in Public Libraries" on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. Join in for discussion of digitization, preservation and access for local historical newspapers with the Columbus Metropolitan Library's Local History & Genealogy team.
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.
ALA-APA Salaries and Status of Library Workers Committee to Host Two Webinars
The ALA Allied Professional Association’s (ALA-APA) Salaries and Status of Library Workers (SSLW) committee invites you to join them for the following two sessions. The first, Empowering Library Workers: Navigating Unionization in Challenging Environments, will be held May 1st, 1:30 – 3:00pm (Central)/ 2:30 – 4:00pm (Eastern). The second, What Comes after Unionization: Effective Engagement with Library Workers, will be held on May 8th, 12:00pm-1:00pm (Central).
Free Core Webinar: Perspectives on Working with International Vendors
Join Core for the free webinar "Perspectives on Working with International Vendors" on April 25, 2024, at 2 p.m. CT. This webinar is sponsored by Core International Relations Committee and Core World Languages Acquisitions Committee. Panelists will share their experiences and offer practical tips for collection development, problem-solving, translation, and interfacing with foreign vendors.
Core Webinar - Best of Core Forum: What is "Cataloging"? An Analysis of Job Postings
Core hosts the webinar "Best of Core Forum: What is "Cataloging"? An Analysis of Job Postings" on April 23, 2024, at 1 p.m. CT. Like many library jobs, cataloging job titles and duties have changed significantly over time. Both catalogers and library leaders can benefit from a summary and analysis of how this particular market is evolving.
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.
Core Webinar - Best of Core Forum: Python for Data Visualization
Core hosts the webinar "Best of Core Forum: Python for Data Visualization" on April 10, 2024, at 1 p.m. CT. Useful for presenting both usage information and data from original research, Python can help transform data from numbers into data visualizations, such as graphs, that can be shared with coworkers, administration, and publishers. This workshop will cover all the information needed to create these data visualizations--no previous experience required!
Core Webinar: Logic Models; Your Strategic Magic Wand
Join Core for the webinar "Logic Models: Your Strategic Magic Wand" on April 16, 2024, at 1 p.m. CT. In this introductory session, participants will learn the fundamentals of logic models and think about how to refine or develop logic models (starting with a theory of change) so that they can be confidently added to proposals that stand out from the crowd as well as offer clear direction for program evaluation.
Core Webinar - Best of Core Forum: Evaluating Your Library Assessment Program
Core hosts the webinar "Best of Core Forum: Evaluating Your Library Assessment Program" on April 9, 2024, at 1 p.m. CT. This presentation describes how to use an information maturity model to assess the current internal data culture of each library. The information maturity model establishes the baseline levels of an organization’s data culture across three categories: people, processes, and tools. By understanding the library’s information maturity, we can surface issues related to data management, communication, and technical skills, and discuss the consequences of these issues on productivity and decision-making.
Core Classroom: Your Supported Job Search
Join Core from May 20 to June 14, 2024, for the Core Classroom “Your Supported Job Search.” This course should help you clarify what you are looking for, sharpen your application documents (e.g. CV, resume, cover letter), find a process that works for you, and maintain your mental and physical health. Four sessions will provide a thorough foundation to both the practical and psychological elements of finding a LIS job.
Announcing the 2024 Core Fundamentals Web Course Schedule
Core is pleased to announce the release of the 2024 Core Fundamentals Web Course schedule. This series of related online courses covers basic topics that enhance skills in various areas of library work.
Join Core during the 2024 ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition in San Diego, CA for the full-day preconference event "AvramCamp: An Unconference for Women and Non-binary Technology Library Workers". Each year Core sponsors AvramCamp, a safe and welcoming space for women and non-binary technology library workers to explore common challenges faced, learn strategies for dealing with them, and discuss specific tools to build confidence. Inspired by AdaCamp, AvramCamp begins by exploring Imposter Syndrome, the feeling that you aren’t actually qualified for the work you are doing and will be discovered as a frau
