2026 marks the 150th anniversary of the American Library Association. It’s a milestone that invites everyone across the country to imagine the libraries of tomorrow, to advocate fiercely for open access to knowledge, and to invest in the infrastructure, both digital and human, that makes libraries a foundation of thriving communities.
Kristi Holmes, PhD, associate dean for knowledge management and strategy and director of Northwestern University’s Galter Health Sciences Library and Learning Center, has been named the 2026 Medical Librarian of the Year by the Friends of the National Library of Medicine, a nonprofit devoted to increasing public awareness and use of the National Library of Medicine. The award honors individuals who demonstrate exceptional leadership, innovation, and sustained contributions to the advancement of health sciences librarianship at the local, national, and international levels.
On May 14, Acting Librarian of Congress Robert R. Newlen announced the latest round of recordings that will join the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress for 2026. The 25 acts were selected as audio treasures worthy of preservation for all time based on their cultural, historical, or aesthetic importance in the nation’s recorded sound heritage.
The library media center at Vernon Hills High School in Illinois—just north of the American Library Association’s Chicago home—has been named National School Library of the Year.
In episode 33 of the “How I Library” podcast, show host and I Love Libraries editor Phil Morehart speaks with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Daniel Kraus about his latest book, “Partially Devoured: How Night of the Living Dead Saved My Life and Changed the World.”
Our friends at PBS News Student Reporting Labs are back with another season of “On Our Minds,” their award-winning podcast about the teenage experience.
This Star Wars Day we’re listening to one of our favorite past episodes of American Libraries’ podcast that’s devoted to all things Star Wars. The show features conversations with three individuals who occupy a unique place in the Star Wars universe, revealing how the franchise has become a force with galactic influence.
For this installment of our weekly book reviews from Booklist, the American Library Association’s nationally distributed book and media review publication, we have Allie Steven’s review of “Red and the Wolves” by Cherry Zong.
April is School Library Month, when school librarians across the U.S. are encouraged to host activities to help their school and local community celebrate the essential role that strong school libraries play in transforming learning. For more than 40 years, School Library Month has highlighted the vital role school libraries play in the lives and education of our nation’s youth. It has a fascinating history.
Libraries and schools across the country are experiencing unprecedented levels of attempts to ban or remove books from their shelves. I Love Libraries will continue to raise awareness by highlighting attempts to censor library materials, as well as efforts by librarians, parents, students, and concerned citizens to push back against them. This update includes details about ALA’s tracking of book bans and challenges in 2025, as well as news from Iowa, North Carolina, and Washington.
